Aria of the Ascending Soul
by LadyLunarPhoenix
Summary: If Soma thought dealing with the Castle, his past, and Celia's rip off of a castle was hard, then he better watch out. Manipulation and deceptions are 'not' exclusive providence of the Castle. The world may not be ready for the return of the Dark Children
1. Rebirth

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: Notes about the restart at the bottom of the story.

The room was rather well lit, the soft hint of incense flittered through the air and there was a soft hum as a computer ran. The room wasn't anything special; it was almost severe in appearance, sturdy oak wood floors, stonewalls and a thick strong ceiling. There was a pair of paintings on the wall to the left, an ornate sword hanging from the wall on the right along with a family crested shield. There wasn't much going on in the room; one would even say that it looked almost typical compared to any other office. If you ignored the man sitting at the desk then perhaps the room would look completely normal. Yet though the man looked normal himself, with his dark brown hair with faint traces of lighter brown, and his dark business suit, it was what sat on his shoulder that would stop a person. Perched on his shoulder like it was nothing at all, was a blonde haired faere. Dressed in a light blue gown she was sleeping soundly as her master worked away on his computer with an inhumane speed.

But for all that speed, the rapid sound of keys being pressed, it didn't drown out the sounds from outside, the dragging of footsteps or the hard uneven breathing. The door clicked open, a steady series of clicks that countered the unsteady heartbeat of the white haired person who stumbled into his office. The hair was a bit longer, brushing fully past his shoulders, blue eyes so shadowed by over grown bangs that they showed a flicker of worrisome gold. What had at one time been a clean white coat with blue trim was now a dirty cloak of rags, with dirt, blood and sweat fit for only beggars to wear. The black turtleneck and blue jeans didn't fare any better then the coat. The person looked so very out of place in the orderly office, he could have been someone just off the streets that had stumbled drunk into the room. He stumbled into the first chair that he could reach, and without a permission or word, slumping into it like it had taken all the strength in him to do it.

Behind the desk the typing had come to an end at the sight of the young man, as he sat there patiently his hands folded on his lap, while across his desk the young man seemed to struggle just to stay awake. For the normal person there was a silence as deep as the ocean between the pair, for the normal person there was a tension that couldn't be explained. For those with the senses that went beyond the normal person though there was a whole new depth to the room. Dueling heartbeats, one that was calm to the one that was double-timed yet it wasn't safe. It had been just over a week since Soma had been brought to Arikado's private residence and even now his heart had not returned to a normal beat. It was as though two hearts rested inside Soma's chest, but it was a single heart doing the work of two.

"Soma," Arikado sat back in his chair, his eyes smoothly going over the young teen, taking note of everything, not a hair betraying his concern. "Soma," he repeated the name when said youth didn't respond, only to watch as Soma yanked his head up and look at the dhampire. As though he suddenly realized that he was being spoken too. "You should still be in bed."

Yet Soma answered with a question of his own, as though he did not hear the Dhampire's advice. "I… I messed up didn't I? I failed everyone, so how am I still alive?"

"That can wait until you have recovered," Arikado replied calmly, his familiars were arousing themselves from their slumber, ready to guide the great master only to be stopped and waved away by a gesture from Soma.

"No, I have to know… What did you do to save me?" Soma insisted as he sat there, breathing more like he ran a race then if he had just been sitting down or sleeping like the dead for over a week.

"In time you will remember, until then it is for the best that you rest and heal yourself." Arikado informed Soma, not a hair betraying a thought in his head, or a feeling in his heart, if he had one.

"How can I rest when I don't know how I'm still here," Soma asked resolutely refusing to leave the room his gaze far too serious for one as young as himself.

Arikado didn't answer in this chamber that time truly seemed to forget existed, but he felt Soma's power rise up like a dragon looming over himself. Soma wished to strike, his first instinct seemed to grab and force Arikado under his control through his own power. Even though in this state Soma didn't know that Arikado was a dhampire, he was aware that Arikado had magics within himself, thus he sought to bring that magic under his control. Force the dhampire to explain what had happened that had allowed Soma to survive the battle. Yet at that last moment before any blow could come between them; Soma himself seemed to realize what he was trying to do and stopped himself.

"I'm sorry."

They spoke at the same time, apologizing for different reasons, but apologizing all the same. For Soma, it was his failure to suppress his dark side, for Arikado it was for not revealing the method of Soma's salvation. Arikado finally stood up from behind his desk; tall, lithe and still imposing he walked around it to Soma's side, offering an arm for Soma to use. For a moment the teen seemed confused by the gesture, but then pushed himself out of the chair and surrendered to Arikado's wish to return to his rest. Leaning against the time displaced black suited aristocrat he walked into an uncertain future.

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A/N: In case you didn't notice, this takes place after Dawn of Sorrow if you get the bad Ending and Soma is turned. I guess I should explain my long LONG absence from Second Wave. As you probably are aware I put myself under a schedule with SW, trying to put up a chapter every week, which I now realize, was the wrong thing to do. Among other things I didn't wish to answer questions through author notes and instead of letting the questions be answered in time like they were supposed to… I shoved the answers were they didn't belong. Needless to say when I stood at the last chapter and began writing it I realized I seriously screwed up. It didn't fit something over the course of my writing this fan fiction died and I couldn't fix it. So! Don't expect weekly updates, what I learned from writing this and currently writing A Past and Future Pharaoh will be used for this restart. So let's see if I can weave a better, stronger tale for Castlevania.


	2. Walk with me Daughter

Castlevania:

Dawn of Sorrow, Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

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Dawn, it was peering rather sleepily over the walls of the Vatican, warming the cold stone with it's rays of light. Shining like how truth and justice should pierce through the darkness, or in a certain witch's eyes, blinding like how a stinking orb would. Or so would Yoko proclaiming depending on the hour of the day and the amount of sleep she had acquired. Which was why the 86-year-old Pope was guiding the much younger Yoko around. Ah Yoko, a brilliant conversationalist if one could get her on the right path, a lousy morning person. In fact if the Pope didn't guide her, she'd be as a stumbling drunk through the gardens. Jet lag followed by a five am meeting was, she would announce, a curse God put on man. Of course staying up all night making jokes about the Popes speeches to the mass really didn't justify sympathy for Yoko's; ahem, suffering. Yet at the same time, Yoko was, when awake, a pleasant person to talk to, as she gave an opinion that was closer to the opinion of the people. Something he needed now as Pope, his council didn't always wish to tell him the full truth.

Though it was true that, as the Pope, he was to be above such idle rumors as those given the common man. It was because he couldn't be swayed by jealous rumors, when his path was to protect and guide his flock. Or rather, he shouldn't be swayed, but even the Pope was a human, thus why he was kept apart from the rest of the world. But unlike so many previous Popes that had served the Catholic Church; Alexander, as he was known now, was one of the select few in the church who could say they had spoken to the Dhampire. Each man chosen to be the Pope always, always, brought something of his own personal interest into the position. When he was elected to the position of Pope, it meant he had been elected to a position of more then just what the global media saw. It meant playing a very unusual waiting game with a select group of people.

As Pope, he was viewed as the highest-ranking person in the Catholic Church, if not of the whole Christian faith. While individuals may hold the esteem of the masses, they came and went as all humans do. But the Pope was in a sense near eternal, it wasn't really about the man, it was about the Faith, the conviction, it was devotion everlasting, a state as near as holy as a person could get without standing before the King of Kings. It would be, therefore, the height of scandal if it were ever leaked that the Holy See, the very highest of the Christian Church had allowed the use of a lesser, more pagan, religion in their attempts to seal away a great evil. The mere thought that a religion based on a supreme Overbeing couldn't handle a very active potent evil? No, people required a moral compass to follow otherwise chaos and anarchy ruled their lives. People by default if untrained or not raised to a certain standards often found it hard to attain a certain lifestyle, not without mixing it with their original style. Many times, this change was good, new fashions, new technologies, ideas were borne from the mixing pot of different sources. But religion was a different matter, people were raised and conditioned for the training they had been given for that particular service, losing it's purity, no matter how sincere often meant a loss to the way of life. And when it came to seals, and the Dark Lord, tainting was a result that could not be allowed to happen.

Time and again those who had faced Dracula had been only able to send him back into the very chaos. Alexander was not even a Cardinal at the time before 1999, he knew nothing of the discussions that the previous Popes were involved in when they agreed to the new style of sealing. Only when he had become a Cardinal did he learn about the Seal. About the waiting game that the Church was now in, waiting to see if the Final Battle had truly been fought, or if Dracula would return again. When Yoko returned from her assignments at least then he knew how fared the fate of the world. After all she was rather fond of the side effect of the sealing. When the seal was put into place, the understanding was that it would banish the evil of Count Dracula from the world; however, the seal apparently took this term quite literally and all that remained of the Count was his human soul. He, as well as the Cardinals, was amazed at the idea that the Lord of Darkness had a human, and therefore, a presumably pure soul. When they discovered the prophecy about the Dark Lord's return they wondered if the war would ever end.

"Ok I'm awake and dressed what more do you want from me?" Yoko asked between jaw breaking yawns.

"Early morning motto?" Alexander asked amused as she blearily looked up at him. "I do believe you have guests here so you really should try and wake up."

"Yeah… Say Your Holiness, why did the Cardinals of Internal and External Affairs want to see Arikado and Soma?" Yoko asked as she straightened up a bit.

"The recent events, now that Soma is strong enough to travel on his own. The Cardinal wished to see the boy for himself the host of the powers of Darkness isn't something that should be an unknown to us. We wished to meet the youth, to confirm his heart, I hope that they understand how both odd and dangerous the situation is." Alexander explained calmly with a faint smile, after all it was more then the feelings of a couple of people at stake.

"Soma…" Yoko looked internally distracted at that, remembering the battle. "He's trying to hold on, it's, well, his emotions that are sorta the problem. When grief and all the emotions that follow grief are pushed to the extreme within him, he just loses himself. I wonder what type of person Soma was before he became Dracula originally." Yoko sounded wistful at that last part, wishing that they had been able to stop the pain that had brought about Dracula originally.

"A man who felt emotions strongly, and that has not changed apparently." Alexander replied his eyes focused on a distant door off the side of the garden. Bird song filled the air as the pair talked, lifting the mood of the conversation as they made their way towards the door as part of the stroll through the garden.

"The family crypt," Yoko breathed as she walked over to the door and placed her hand upon it. All the members of the Belmont clan who had ever faced Dracula was buried there, not only that but off to the side bore the crypt of all those who aided the Belmonts. Even Yoko's own esteemed ancestor, Sophia Belandes, was buried there. Sometimes she wondered, if she was living up to her potential, if Sophia; were she to see her current representative of the Clan, be proud. The stories told, always showed Sophia as a strong, decisive woman who knew right from wrong and the sacrifices necessary to follow the right path. But did she ever have a problem like the one that Yoko had? All the Belmonts, all of her own clan, they always had it so simple back then, just go into the castle and destroy Dracula. That wasn't the case this time physical hardship was one thing, emotional hardship was different. Physical hardship didn't haunt a person the same way, looking at Soma and wondering if there would come a time when someone would kill him. Did they know? Did her ancestors or the Belmonts know that it took overpowering grief to make Dracula do what he did? Surely Trevor had a clue, he was the one to find Alucard and bring him into the battle against the dark curse of Dracula. She sometimes wondered if Trevor or Sophia ever thought about that, about making a son fight his own Father.

"Lost in thought dear child?" Alexander asked kindly as he studied her quiet features.

"Father? What's the greater sin? Patricide or…" she found herself unable to think of a way to finish the question.

"You're thinking of Alucard. His situation is with no easy answer; on the one hand he does a great service to those who cannot fight by taking up his sword against evil. On the other hand it is his own father who he must strike down, no, it's not an easy answer that one. One would note, that he always addresses his father either as his father or by his title and name. But always respectful, the son who was doing what he had to do, even if it did break his own heart. Dracula must have been a good man before his wife's death; Alucard would not be so faithful or torn otherwise. Yoko?" Alexander cocked his head to the side as he studied Yoko's sudden change of expression. She went from thoughtful to suddenly moving so that she was on his other side studying the silent garden.

"The birds… they stopped singing."

Alexander never really ever 'saw' Yoko in action, he only saw her on the Vatican grounds in her usually role of serving the church. Oh he heard the rumors that she could do more then just animate stuffed toys, the Stuffy Patrol Christmas Express train came to mind. But he had never actually seen her do anything that made him think she could properly defend herself in a given situation. The shift from sleepy woman to thoughtful caring nun to a now fully alert tensed up witch was a surprise. He didn't feel threatened, but apparently something had set off Yoko. "Go, if I am not the target then go and see to the matter."

She was gone the moment he spoke, freeing her to go and check out what had happened, moving at a speed that left the old man blinking in amazement. So, there actually 'was' more to Yoko Belandes then just her bubbly personality. Leaving him to stand alone in the garden of the Vatican with the door to the Belmonts Crypt behind him. Before him laid a splendid garden, tended to by the loving hands of the nuns and priests of the church, a beautiful fountain of Jesus teaching his disciples resting in the center. Apple and Fig trees grew in predetermined locations providing shade for the guest of the garden; in the morning the dew reflected the sunlight like a field of diamonds. The Vatican, the grandest of bastions of the Catholic faith in the entire world, the glorious gilded cage for the head of a faith that was tested daily in every man. "What is worse? Patricide or standing aside and letting the innocent suffer instead of fighting back? Dear daughter, the worst is having to make that call at all."

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Yoko ran through the garden, dashing through the doors with enough speed to leave the guards gaping as she dashed off ordering them to watch over the Pope. As she ran past the rich cream colored, white trimmed walls she tossed her senses out to the fullest trying to find the source of the disturbance, much akin to a fisherman casting a line. Well she knew what the source was, Soma clearly, but she couldn't figure out why he would be acting out like this. The souls were once more gone, leaving Soma a typical teenager, albeit with a dark responsibility. It was the dark aura that he possessed, it was seething, no raging, about something that she couldn't understand. She took to the stairs twenty at a time, with each bounding leap, leaving the poor choirboys, priests, nuns, and other members of the church to stare at her in wide-eyed amazement. The Vatican was a precursor version of Dracula's castle in Yoko's opinion, far too blasted big to be of any use to anyone. Well at least it didn't have a horde of monsters to fight through, which was a small miracle unto itself, since choirboys technically 'were' little monsters when left unattended.

She hung a left at a statue of the Apostle Paul, nearly slid into the wall when she hit the humble portrait of Mary, nearly tripped over that 'will they ever get it fixed' carpet snag at the statue of Mary Magdalene that often sent the poor person running right into her breasts. Though lo she finally did hear a great deal of voices, much akin to the sounds of a gang talking about a fight while the two combatants shrieked their hate at the center of the mass. But amid all the high ranking hats, so useless, and people clearly taller then herself, there was nothing she could see. Polite, if strained, requests to get by where ignored while she recognized Soma's angry voice, shrieking about being released. Channeling her lightning spell, when applied to the poking, however got the first priest to jump a good three feet into the air. He landed in an undignified heap at her feet causing the priests ahead of him to turn around to see what was the matter, again no one really knew what Yoko was capable of doing in the Church.

"Move it or start praying your pacemakers can handle it." She threatened with her index finger still sparking with electricity. That cleared her a path to the door faster then crosses at a vampire convention. She stomped her way to the doorway and looked inside where the chaos was still going strong despite her arrival. "This can not in any way be considered a good thing."

The Vatican came with many offices that were designed for mere conversations or meetings. Oak wood desks, and chairs a rich red carpet, with all the cushions also of that same shade of red. With a fireplace capable of being lit during the winter months it made the place feel pleasantly warm during those winter months, but almost cloyingly hot in the summer when mixed with the incense. The room had a strict sense, no curves everything was straight with sharp angles, her witch senses never did like this room. Above the mantel rested a lovely portrait of a field of flowers with a cottage, two lovely young girls were playing amongst the flowers with a mountain range off in the distance. The curtains were pulled shut, which was odd considering it so early in the morning, and that the windows revealed the inner garden, even though all the windows of the church were bullet proof. Rows of books rested on shelves that were built into the walls, with a couch that normally rested near them toppled backwards. The room unto itself looked pretty much normal, save that the chairs were tossed aside, this way and that, and there were papers that littered the floor like the leaves of early fall.

The priests were struggling to hold Soma back, the teen looked fit to kill, his eyes wide and focused, his otherwise neat clean white coat being used to help hold him back. His black turtleneck, his bellbottom blue jeans and his belts were being grabbed and held on to like life depended on it. Which given the fact that he had Claimh Solais out and dripped with blood, probably meant someone's life 'did' depend on his restraint. Cardinal D'Arsit was now with a pair of priests trying to help staunch a ridiculous amount of blood from somewhere. Further back, closer to the fireplace three nuns was tending to Arikado in a way that brought to mind the image of Christ after the Crucifixion. The only one fully capable of calming Soma down was out cold apparently, and what hope was there for Soma when it would be a Cardinal of the Church set against him?


	3. Let us talk you and I

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: Yes, I brought back the Stuffy Patrol. Though right now it's just General SnuggyWuggy

The Vatican was a building of quiet tension; by noon one would think the whole place on some form of lock down, as few adults stepped out of their offices or rooms. Young boys stayed close to the walls, whispering the tales of how Yoko jumped the stairs and ran. The children gathered in small groups reciting what they had seen, meeting up with other boys who had heard, as all children do, what had happened between the newcomers and the Cardinal of Internal Affairs. By that time of the day everyone who wasn't there had heard from the whispers of the children, of their ditzy nun's escapade on the stairs, and how the pale stranger had cut the hand off the Cardinal. The boys had a clear dislike of the Cardinal so there was no lost love there, but Yoko! Oh Yoko was now the church's new Iconic hero!

Not that she felt that way when there was a knock on her door. She got up from her desk, where she had been sulking, and walked over opening it, finding Pope Alexander standing on the other side. She stepped aside from the door allowing the man to enter her room, while her teddy bear, SnuggyWuggy, pulled out a chair for the Pope. She shut the door and rested against it, her eyes closed to the bright light of the noon sun that filtered into her window. Soaking in the familiarity of her room, with its soft pastel colors and warm wood tones. It took a bit of effort before she finally walked away from the door and sat down across from the Pope, waiting for the questions that were sure to come.

"Yoko? What happened in the false Castle?" He finally asked, no point in preamble, or masking the question.

The question alone threw Yoko off, she was sure he was going to ask about what happened in the room, yet instead the castle? "Alucard informed us about the castle, and the situation. I arrived with Julius, but he insisted on going in alone just as Soma arrived. Soma knew he was being threatened; I had him guide me to a location where I could wait things out. After that I saw him from time to time, he would seek me out to upgrade his weapons, or occasionally he came for the companionship. Alucard and Julius were going through the castle on their own, it wasn't like they were together and I think Soma wanted someone to talk to that wasn't going to hurt him. From time to time Alucard would visit me, after he discovered Soma roaming around the castle, and to say he wasn't pleased with Soma putting himself in danger, is putting it mildly. He didn't say much, but it was the way he bit out each word when describing situations he knew Soma would have problems overcoming. The castle on its' own wasn't huge, but when coupled with fighting monsters, it wasn't any wonder to me when Soma would show up exhausted. I'd let him curl up in my shop, there were some old pillows that I let him use as a bed, he'd use his coat or a cape as a blanket and would take a nap. But then after awhile, he stopped coming, and the hours stretched until…"

Alexander had known Yoko all her life, was used to her animated personality, she didn't hide her pleasure or displeasure very well. She could be a bright sunny day of high spirits, or a stormy day with lightning flashing in her eyes normally. But right now, sitting across from her, with her enchanted teddy in her arms she looked more like a gloomy autumn day rather then a spring morning or summer storm. "Until?" He gently urged.

"Julius came back to my shop, but all he said was 'I have to fulfill my promise, we lost Soma.' I left the shop with him, traveling through out the castle until we came across Alucard. By then he had dropped the final seal, there was no point to it anymore with Soma gone. From there we traveled through out the castle dispatching monsters and looking for Dracula. We didn't talk much, Alucard was going to face his charge, Julius to keep a promise while I was trying to figure out how I was going to explain to Mina that Soma was gone. Not to say that Alucard didn't explain what had happened, we understood that a doppelganger had been used to trick Soma. We reached him, had to go into this weird, not earth type place filled with evil intent, only to get warped back into the throne room where Dracula was. Sometimes I wonder if it was because Soma existed at all that Dracula yielded to us, or because Soma, who is the manifestation of his human soul, may have still been inside somewhere. But he held back and when the battle was over, it was just Soma in control again, a grieving distraught Soma. And Dimitri who had been hiding within Soma all that time, and probably helped influence Soma's emotional state. He was just a roaming spirit, but he now had enough power to find a new host body. We had to deal with him, so we left Soma with strict instructions to stay in the throne room and if the castle started to fall he just had to turn into a bat and fly out of there, since the throne room was at the top of the castle."

Yoko had a lost look in her eyes as she recalled the events in the castle, her sadness that this even had to happen clear in her very being. Alexander never really knew that much about Soma himself. When the seal was put into place originally the church had kept tabs on each child born on the day, at the moment of the fall of Count Dracula. The church followed up on every child, going over each profile that was created as the child grew up, thus they saw many minor threats. But at the time the biggest threat came from Graham Jones. Alexander knew his profile chapter and verse, so to speak; the man who would become the leader of a cult that sought to take over the world. Soma had been a complete unknown to them, Alexander had come to realize that Alucard had been aware of the youth. Not only aware but had actively shielded Soma from their view.

Though the act had knocked the Cardinals on their side in shock when this revelation had been revealed, it had touched Alexander. A son desperately clinging to a single hope that his father could be redeemed. That a son who had been at odds with his father for over four centuries could still love the man enough that he would risk his own life to save his father. "How terrible for Alucard." He spoke aloud, breaking Yoko's train of thought, and continued when she focused back on the present and him. "He puts the world before himself, over and over again, and the world shows nothing for it. He sealed his father away, only to unexpectedly have his father reborn. Striving to send the other Dark Children into an equal slumber, instead the children stay awake and restless for his father's power and presence. Now, his father has returned again, a good soul but a soul that knows not of him. A wall between father and son that should never have to exist in the first place exists now. How he must ache for his father, that he would allow himself to be put into such danger, and more so now that it's become clear that there 'has' to be a Dark Lord. Surely Alucard wishes more for his father then to be a slave to an eternal battle, and yet… here we are…"

"Father and Son," Yoko repeated her eyes going towards a spot on the wall and beyond to a room full of corpses. "Alucard told me after the Castle left that he watched Soma fight Graham. He watched as Soma defeated Graham and the castle invested it's powers into him. He said 'He collapsed on the ground in shock, but when he gathered once more his wits he stood tall and acknowledged without doubt or question that he was Count Dracula.' I don't know if Alucard was sure or not about if Soma was his father or not, Soma lacks some qualities that resembles Vlad the Impaler after all. Julius had exhausted his powers to open a channel for us to reach Dimitri, when we reached the room of corpses though… The smell would knock a person down alone, fire and brimstone and rotting flesh abound. As gag inducing as it was for me I wondered if it bothered Alucard or did he smell something akin to home. That was when we learned that Soma is indeed the rebirth of Count Dracula…" Yoko broke off to get a cup of water, offering and bringing a cup to the Pope before she sat back down a weak grin and she chilled their glasses making the water even more pleasant to drink. "He said that he knew who Alucard really was, and how he was surprised how Dracula was an alias, that the person who had been calling himself Count Dracula was nothing more then a Baron. He said that now that Soma was undoubtedly dead, it was time for someone to succeed where Soma could not."

"Count Dracula? You mean to say that Soma is not the reincarnation of Vlad Tepes?" Alexander asked in surprise to which Yoko nodded.

"We never did find out who Soma is the reincarnation of, because Dimitri attacked Alucard at that moment. Throwing Alucard against the wall with a type of spell that Alucard wasn't prepared to defend again. It was much akin to the ones we use here, only more violent, as it knocked Alucard completely out cold. I rushed to his side, not sure how I could help him and deal with someone like Dimitri, only Soma appeared between him and us. Soma physically looked fine, if by looks alone he looked like he hadn't fought and lost a terrible battle. But at that moment Dimitri lost control of all the souls he had gathered, his form was completely distorted and he turned into a massive monster. When I caught sight of Soma's eyes though I realized the danger. He was exhausted, though absorbing and using the souls of monsters is easy for him to do. It is still something that requires mental strength and focus, something he was in terribly short supply. Alucard came around during the battle, and when he caught sight of Soma fighting he literally shook with suppressed rage. He probably believed that I could hold Dimitri off long enough so that he could come to and join the battle. But seeing Soma fighting, time after time when it was clear Soma was in over his head just infuriated the man. In the end, Soma won, but was so battered and beaten by then that he fell from the highest platform he had gotten to during the battle. Alucard rushed to him, caught and held him while we escaped the falling Castle."

"And Alucard took Soma home with him to take care of the young man," Alexander finished for Yoko gently as she smiled slightly.

"Yeah, he carried Soma to his car, he was so gentle I don't think he even realized how much he fussed over Soma when he left. I don't think he realizes when he shows his concern for Soma, how clear it is concern."

"Cardinal Rocco, spoke with Soma before this began. It seems the Cardinal of External Affairs had better luck in his dealings with Soma then the Cardinal of Internal Affairs with Alucard or Soma. It went rather well in fact, Soma by all accounts, though marginally distracted at times, was rather calm. He said that Soma showed signs of someone who was growing used to the burden he was carrying. Which is a good thing, of course, until suddenly, we can only assume he somehow realized that Alucard was being hurt. He responded by leaving the room and rushing about until he found Alucard, in which case the argument resorted to bloodshed." Alexander explained recalling what Lodovico told him of the meeting. "Soma may not realize that Alucard is his half blood son, but he is already showing all the ear marks of a protective parent."

"Will I be able to see Soma?" Yoko asked quietly, knowing that Alucard was in safe hands as he recovered from the earlier events. But there was no telling what would befall Soma during that time. The Vatican had developed policies about dark being attacks after the first few situations after Dracula's castle had been sealed away. There was a chance that Soma would not survive the day if the Church decided he was still a threat and to be dealt with haste.

"No, dear Daughter I believe I should see him first," Alexander replied only to smile at her startled expression. "Oh you think I should not? Perhaps so, but I would like to use this chance to meet the young Lord of Darkness."

"The Cardinals will have our heads," Yoko lamented as she sat there staring at the Pope like he lost his ever loving mind. He only chuckled at her response before getting up to leave, letting her open the door for him as he made his way into the hallway of the Vatican.

The right thing to do was to see the Cardinals first, Yoko wasn't joking about the ferocity of the Cardinals over an incident like this. They would go back and forth arguing over the issue at hand, something that Alexander didn't have time to listen to. Not yet anyway, if he wanted the full story he had to hear it from several sides, but several sides that were directly at the source of the issue. Realistically, besides himself only two of the Cardinals had any interaction with Soma, and both had two totally different stances about him. Just between the Internal and External Affairs the problem would be Soma and his attack, once they threw in the rest of the Cardinals and their demand to know why such extreme measures were used on Alucard? Alexander didn't think he'd see his bed anytime soon, with the meetings he was about to be dragged into. Only now he had a better grasp on what had transpired in the False Castle when Yoko left to deal with Celia.

He walked down the hallways with a pair of priests abandoning their duties to accompany him, even if they didn't know where he was headed. The even sound of footsteps and rustle of cloth softly alerted those ahead of the coming procession. Allowing the few in the hallway to know and move aside for the Pope, as they progressed to lower parts of the Vatican. From a side door a lone nun slipped out of a room, bowing to the trio as she left to finish her rounds after having tended to the Dhampire. Alucard would be in that room then, slumbering in a bed while oils and incense were burned to counter the effects of the Holy oils. Those oils only worked on the Vatican grounds, created by Yoko's mother to help defend those inside from attacks from Dark Beings. But it was always understood that the oils were used to defend, not to torture someone, especially not Alucard! The oils worked like Holy Water, burning the Dark One, but like oils it was soaked into the skin leaving a lasting burning pain. The idea that it was used on Alucard would raise many of the Cardinals' ire, as Alucard was their one stable guardian against the Dark Ones. With Vampire Killer taking the life of anyone who over used it in the Morris Clan, the Belmont Clan having been proven not above brain washing by the Dark Side, and the Belendes being woefully weak in physical conflict.

Finally he found himself standing before the door to the cell where Soma was being kept, the priests by his side touched his arms and tried to get him to move back out of concern. As did the guards that stood before it, but he merely smiled and gave soft words of reassurance. Though clearly not pleased with this, the guard opened the door allowing Alexander to step inside the room. It was ten feet all around with cell bars in the center of it, a lone light embedded into the ceiling with a lone teen bound to a chair, his hands bound behind his back, and a rough canvas bag over his head blinding him. While in the four corners of the cell rested the burning oils that subdued Dark Beings.


	4. The Rules of Conversation between Rulers

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Dusk of Hope

Written By: LadyLunarPhoenix

Betaed by: Lilith (Someone I know over IM but don't know her handle)

"Soma?" Alexander finally spoke watching as the teen lifted his head up a bit as though surprised at being spoken to. "I would like to speak with you if that is acceptable."

There was a muffled sound from Soma as though something was holding back his ability to speak while the teen shook his head side to side.

"He has been gagged by order of the Cardinal D'Arsit," the priest at his side answered before a gesture by the Pope had the man quietly remove the cover and then the gag from the teen. "Your Holiness? Is it wise?" The priest asked only to receive a reassuring shake of the head and sighed. He left the Pope with the young Dark Lord praying that this meeting went well.

"I'm in trouble aren't I?"

It was the first thing Soma said the moment the door shut leaving him with the Pope of the Holy Church. Alexander had not personally met Soma until this moment, and it was something to note this first meeting. No grand fanfare between them, no legions of darkness nor armies of holy knights, just a single moderately well lit room, one table two chairs with the pair of them sitting across from each other. Nothing for the tabloids to print about or the media to flock over in excitement, it made Alexander wonder what type of fabrications either publications would create just to get some ratings. This meeting was almost so anticlimactic that the only reason either group would appear would be from the attack from earlier. Such a pity though, Alexander would have preferred to have this meeting while walking through the garden above. It was so much more informal and getting to know a person came more easily then when they were tied to a chair with the understanding that they were, in fact, in trouble.

Alexander sat there wondering how it must have felt for Alucard when he found Soma and learned about who the child was. From all accounts until Soma absorbed a soul he didn't radiate any real type of power that could be noticed beyond the fact that it was there. Yoko had explained with Dario as an example that each person's power created a type of aura around him or her. Dario with his power over fire, in the eyes of someone who could sense and wield power themselves, created an aura like seeing things through the heat of flames. Seeing his power meant feeling something akin to seeing fire radiate off of him, while Dimitri radiated a faded copy sense of whatever power he recently mimicked. What drove Alucard to Spain to look for Soma? Though by sight there was obviously something different about the teen, with his pale white hair, his pale skin. Perhaps blood was the most powerful force in the world, perhaps the blood of his father called to him bringing him to his father's side. But the story of Alucard's discovery of Soma was a story only Alucard could tell.

"Yes, violence is not tolerated within these sanctified walls, however Cardinal D'Arsit's act against Arikado is also unacceptable." Alexander explained calmly watching Soma struggle with something internally. Soma seemed to have a problem when it dealt with strong emotions, Yoko once theorizing that it was these strong feelings that lead Dracula down his path. Something must have happened as a catalyst for the transformation, something that not even Alucard knew for it had never been spoken in his presence while he still lived with his father. "How and why did you attack Cardinal D'Arist?" He needed to know what caused Soma to be willing to draw blood, to understand why Soma apparently possessed such a strong awareness of Alucard at this point.

"He hurt Arikado-san!" Soma exclaimed as though it should be common knowledge. "Why would a man of the church hurt Arikado-san?"

"Because Arikado protected you," Alexander explained calmly watching the expression of dismay enter Soma's eyes. 'Good boy, you don't like others being hurt because of you.'

"I don't understand…" Soma replied subdued by the answer.

"In 1999 my predecessor agreed to the method used to seal away your dark nature. After that we kept up to date, detailed records on all the children born the day that you died. However when you were reincarnated, instead of letting us know about you so we could refocus our attention, Arikado opted to hide you from us. In hindsight, it may have been the wisest move, for it allowed you to grow up without having to be overly exposed to the church. You grew up with your own mind and thoughts. The realization of the truth was not as crippling as it would have been if we had tried to mold you into something you were not. Only to have the castle reveal your true birth status, perhaps in that it was where we failed Graham. Still, how did you know that it was Arikado who was in danger?" Alexander asked watching Soma intently.

"I… I don't know… It was like when I thought Mina-chan had been killed in the fake Castle. I felt like someone was trying to take something infinitely precious away from me. I took off looking for the reason for that feeling and found Arikado-san on the ground and panicked. I… I don't understand why he would be punished." Soma explained sounding sullen starting to withdraw into himself. Which fit his normal profile, Soma was not an overtly happy person and it had been years before he found anyone that he could connect with. Though the group was working with him to draw him out of himself it wasn't something that just happened over night.

Alexander sat there quietly, taking in what Soma had just said, and while his face held the same kind but firm expression he held during the Holy Mass… He felt rather relieved, even if Soma didn't know it. He felt deep down inside that Alucard was important to him; perhaps there was still some paternal affection from the Vampire King that had been able to reach and touch his human soul. If they could keep Soma from following the path of evil, perhaps there would come a day when, even if Soma didn't realize it, Father and Son could finally sit and talk.

"So this girl… Mina is it? She 'is' your girlfriend," Alexander noted, looking to distract Soma a bit more from what Yoko had admitted and wanting to see how Soma would react to teasing rather then fact.

"… She's 'not' my girlfriend! Just because she's a girl and a friend does 'not' automatically make her my girlfriend!" Soma blurted out in the most put upon tone of voice yet. He was blushing, and frustrated which was rather endearing since it made it harder to accept this young man was the Lord of Darkness.

"Ahh then just the first girl you have made for a friend?" Alexander suggested watching as Soma's put upon anger deflate.

"Actually I… I have trouble making friends; she's the first friend I made…" Soma admitted growing sullen again at the admission.

"Not everyone instantly makes friends with those around them, there are friends for every person sometimes though, you just have to look for them." Alexander replied sympathetic towards the boy's loneliness.

"I still don't understand why Arikado-san had to be punished the way he was." Soma finally whispered his eyes focused on a spot on the table.

"When it was discovered that Arikado protected you and hid your birth from us, several Cardinals were not pleased with this. They felt he had betrayed us to you, that after all this time he was going to serve you." Alexander explained watching Soma's mildly confused expression.

"But why serve me? Just because he has dark powers doesn't mean he has to be evil, Yoko said so."

"No, you're right. He doesn't have to be evil," Alexander nodded, reassured by Soma's reply. The Spaniard didn't know about Alucard, didn't understand the ties of blood that would compromise Alucard's heart. Nor that some of the Cardinals could see Alucard's own protection of Soma as a bid to raise his status from being the Prince of Darkness to the King. "You endow him with that ability to choose, if you so wished it he would have no choice, but to return to your side. When you grant free choice among the Children of the Night, they make the choice, when you deny them, they must obey you." Alexander explained simply, which was the truth or as close as a mortal could come to the grand scheme of truths.

"Arikado's a child of the night? People just born with dark powers are considered that?" Soma asked mildly surprised.

"Yes," Alexander nodded as the weight in the room wasn't as bad as some would think. Though Alexander still wished this conversation were taking place in the gardens, talking to the Pope was less intimidating for people when they didn't have to face him in any formal setting. Sometimes formality and intimidation worked, but this was one of those times when scaring the youth was not the goal. Well not 'his' goal anyways.

"Is Arikado-san going to be ok? What that guy did isn't going to be permanent is it?" Soma finally asked in concern as he sat there blinking as the scent of the oils continued to play with his senses. It was an irritating sensation that ghosted him in a way that hinted of burning, like a feather lightly tickling the nose, it wasn't enough to make him sneeze but it was annoying all the same.

"He will be fine, he is very resilient, you'll be able to see him later once he's woken up." Alexander informed Soma and watched as Soma brightened momentarily.

"He'll be mad when he finds out that there's a Cardinal here missing his hand," Soma foretold in a tone that just oozed the word 'again'.

"It bothers you that you may not live up to Arikado's expectations?" Alexander noted, having now decided he had a firm enough grasp on who Soma was to go into the meeting with the other Cardinals.

"He has dark powers like I do, but he isn't evil, I want to believe that I don't have to become evil just because I have dark powers, so…" With that Soma shrugged the rest of his answer.

Alexander nodded as he stood up, "It's been a pleasure speaking with you, Soma."

"It's been an honor your Holiness," Soma replied bowing against the bonds that held him.

Alexander stood up nodding once to Soma before he turned and walked to the door. He felt steadier in his appointed task, that the path they took was the right one. So that when he entered the meeting with the Cardinals over the day's events he could walk with the surety of a man who knew God's will without question. He walked to the door and knocked on it once, letting the thick oak wood door with holy images open before him. Allowing him to pass through and out into the hallway to listen to the hundred and one reasons why he should or should not have Soma Cruz put to death as the Restored Lord of the Darkness. Behind him the door clicked shut with a finality.


	5. Sleeping Princes

Dawn of Sorrow, Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta:... I'll let you know if I ever attain a full time one but Lilith liked it.

A/N: Where in we see the faintest glimpse of Alucard's sense of humor.

The door clicked open with such little fanfare that it seemed to go against everything that had happened that day in the Vatican. The door turned as was designed without a hitch which seemed wrong. There should have, as once quoted by a reputable alien, been a giant kaboom! The door should have exploded into a pile of toothpicks, the stone archway that held the door should have become at the very 'least' blackened from the force of the blast. There should have been voices screaming, alarms going off, something, anything rather then this unholy silence that seemed to take over the Church. The Pope and the Cardinals were still sequestered in a meeting that no one could get into, and the guards still stood before Soma' door keeping everyone out. The meals had been dealt with in near silence the whole church seemed muted, with an under current of something big going on.

A great number of the older priests, who back during the Great Battle had recently been accepted into the priesthood, knelt in their rooms lost in prayers. Back then they had prayed without break for hope that the sealing would be a success. The world had strayed too far, had become too enamored with their technology and their new science. Few knew how to deal with the evils of the Dark Lord, and would be slaughtered if Dracula managed to win the battle. The comfort that came from the Belmont's success over the centuries was hampered by the modern arrogance, the power of the armies. As an unnatural night blanketed the sky and The Castle rose up countless good men and women went into the castle to deal with it on 'modern' terms. A year ago when Alucard returned after the resealing of the Castle they learned what had become of those brave soldiers.

It was, as one Nun put it, a problem with the status quo. Simply put people got too comfortable with someone else handling the responsibilities or the danger and thus forgot what it meant to be 'in' danger. The Church had put all their eggs into a basket named Belmont, that it would ultimately increase the risk of something breaking. It was, as the lower ranked priests felt, pure luck that Soma was a good enough person that he didn't succumb to the temptation of the castle. While the Nun's felt it was a sign from God that despite all the evil within Dracula, that Alucard could find the good within his father and save that part. After all, Julius was too old to wield the whip and go into the front lines again, despite what he might have told the Pope or anyone else in the Church. While at the same time Alucard was refusing to let the Whip go into the hands of the Morris clan, even 'with' the LeCarde clan there to back them up. No one knew why he was so adamant but there you had it, and no one really save for the Pope had the nerve to dictate what Alucard, the Prince of Darkness himself, could or could not do. Well save for a lone Cardinal who had paid for that folly by having his hand cut clean off by the Prince's father.

No one was going to deny that Daddy Dracula was a very protective parent anymore. Not after the display he gave today, regardless if someone saw him as Soma Cruz or as Count Dracula in a disguise. The priests weren't sure what to do about the whole incident, after all not everyone felt comfortable around Cardinal D'Arsit. Among all the priests, there was confusion about how the situation should be handled. On the one hand, what the Cardinal did was inexcusable while on the other hand what Soma did was outrageous and did not show well for his future. There was a strange vortex that had begun to form through out the church, spiraling through the confusion and uncertainty focusing itself in a single room in the lower parts of the church. Faith saying that there was 'one' person in the Vatican that could control the situation and for lack of anything better... The priests opted to pray through out the night while the nuns did what they could to help that source recover his strength.

There was something truly gothically beautiful about that source, even when he slept the undisturbed rest of the Undead. It made the ordinary single twin bed look even more plain compared to Alucard's dark beauty. Unmarred by over 500 years of life, his black hair framing his face like ebony silk, smooth, undisturbed it spilled down his face like black wax, smooth, rich, malleable. His features on that face were soft and gentle almost feminine save for his eyes, which probably could look gentle if not for the seriousness that he constantly exuded. Someone had removed his coat, letting the elegantly expensive item rest draped carefully over the chair that rested beside the bed. Leaving both of Alucard's arms resting over the blanket with his neat white button on shirt exposed with his throat just visible, meaning that someone had taken off his tie and probably laid it on the coat. Which given that everything save the shirt and kerchief that Alucard wore was black would be an easily lost item. The suit was the type that normally soaked in light, but sometimes it deemed a moment in time to grant a person the chance to see the soft sheen of the quality of satin used to make it.

But that was the illusion, the guise that Alucard wore when the seal was in place stopping his father's dark influence from affecting Soma. Or maybe it wasn't a guise, maybe it was just that as Alucard's powers grew the paler he became over time. But it didn't matter - Alucard was Alucard, either a raven haired business man with all the mysterious sophistication of a secret agent, or as a long blond haired nobleman born to look down upon all others, yet who graced the world with his refined compassion. He had not stirred once through out the day, rather he laid sleeping much akin to the fairy tale princesses of long ago.

Then Yoko showed up fully planning to wake his royal rear up. While granted the nuns of the Vatican held a deep respect for Alucard... Yoko came from a family that... well... Yeah there was the respect thing going on, but she had learned that he needed to get off his high horse once in a while. But at a time like this, Yoko could only shake her head as she quietly made her way in the bedroom towards Alucard's side. Of all her ancestors, of all the Belmonts, she was the only one who had what could be actually called a working relationship with Alucard. When Alucard sided with vampire hunters it was often only for as long as the hunt lasted, once it was over he was gone again. During his long life he had made only so few contacts, and his only social skills seemed to come from his upbringing. But the upbringing could be seen only as a front, he needed to know more, understand more if he was going to survive interacting in the modern world.

Before modern times it was easy to bring justice to a human killing Dark Child. Now with so many of them a part of society, hiding their inhuman powers he simply could not just 'kill' them. Since more then likely by then they already had a known human life that would demand retribution. Alucard had to be made aware of that, made to realize the dangers that came with simply doing his duties in the modern world. The side bonus of being able to go Conning and just about anywhere else with him while she was growing up had 'nothing' to do with teaching him. But having worked with the man through out her early teen years on through to the present showed her a great deal about the mysterious Alucard.

By rule all the families knew about the man was that he was a vampire that went against his race to aid the humans. He had only lent his hand to aid the Belmonts twice in time, and that he had faded from the world sleeping to conserve his strength until he was called upon again. However after having met the man Yoko realized that all that history was a lie intending to protect Alucard himself. In retrospect it made sense though, Dracula was supreme among vampires, his son, though powerful 'did' spend vast numbers of years sleeping in a coffin. It left him vulnerable during the centuries that his father was gone from the world. With Dracula gone from the world for a century there was no one else that could protect Alucard during his slumber. It left him openly vulnerable to vampires seeking to improve their position or to aid in taking over Dracula's position. After all if Alucard 'slept' for eternity how would Dracula know his son was dead? He wasn't going to believe humans if they told him that some vampire defied him and killed his son. Considering the death of his human wife incited a war against humanity that Dracula had fought for five hundred plus years. There was, no way, they were going to find out what happened if a vampire killed his son. So both clans claimed it was a rogue vampire that had aided them rather then Dracula's own son.

After what happened during the time the Whip was left in the Morris clan, one had to marvel at the foresight of the earlier members of the clan. Who knew that there would be a vampire who would betray Dracula and seek to take over the castle for themselves? Which made the lies all the more important since it kept Alucard safe. So safe in fact that he could sleep on a bed peacefully, as from what Yoko had gleaned out, Alucard actually felt nervous when not inside a coffin when he was resting.

"Wakey wakey Alucard, it's time for all good little Dhampires to rise and shine in the moon light..." Yoko tried quietly, grabbing his foot and giving it a little shake for effect. Normally when he was awake he was prepared for her perky clear greetings and she didn't have to worry about startling him. But with her luck if she jumped on his bed to wake him up she'd end up with a Ball of Destruction in her face. She sat down at the foot of the bed wondering how she was going to wake him up. Suddenly destructive ideas sprang to mind, such as jackhammers, hand grenades, dirty socks, and spears... So unbecoming of a lady though.

"Kindly refrain from your insistent staring." Alucard finally spoke his dark eyes open and focused on the blond at the foot of the bed he had been resting on. He pushed himself into a sitting position with his hands, as opposed to his more eerie, almost robotic, way of sitting up.

"You're awake!" Yoko almost looked teary eyed in her joy before regaining her composure, and flinging SnuggyWuggy at him in her growing anger. "Do you realize how long you've been out or what's been going on since you took your nap?!" Yes, all would soon be restored to normal within the Vatican.

"Has something happened?" Yoko could almost sniff out the barely awake state of Alucard's mind in the way his eyes opened to focus on her, half lidded and faint interest. So out of it that he settled Snuggy down on the bed right side up without thought. Distracted.

"mmm Yeah... Soma cut the hand off dear ol' Cardinal D'Arsit after you went down from being exposed to the Holy Oils." And Cue the frown and the eyes waking up a bit more.

"He did what?" Yep Alucard was out of it if he was asking for repeats.

Yoko sighed and moved closer so she was next to him, "Some how Soma realized you were in pain and went after the Cardinal, by the time I got there he was being held back by a series of priests with blood on Claimh." Alucard was eyeing her as though his brain was still trying to figure out her words, then again, the Oils had been placed on his forehead, perhaps it affected the brain the most then? "Alucard... Soma could be in big trouble. The Pope has already visited him, but he's been in a meeting with the rest of his Cardinals now for most of the day."

"That impudent boy, why would he do such a foolish thing?" Alucard replied apparently he was slowly coming around. Though Yoko wished he would come around a bit faster. Before she knew it he had thrown off the blankets covering him before putting his feet on the ground and standing up. Yoko stood aside to let Alucard put on the clothes taken from him by the nuns. Somewhere in the back of her mind a thought grew and she finally found herself begin to start what could only be described as a lecherous grin. "Oh and thank you for not molesting me as I slept."

"... HEY! I'm no Maria! If I'm going to molest you! I'll do it while you're awake thank you very much!"

And like he had always done before he simply turned and left, walking out to find Soma and probably give the teen a piece of his mind. She decided then she needed to grab some food from the kitchens since the boys were bound to be hungry. She made her way out of the room before heading straight for the kitchen after picking up Snuggy and carrying it in her arms. She could just imagine the pair having a 'discussion' and she didn't want them to have this talk while on empty stomaches. Heaven forbid Alucard take a bite out of Soma. The teen was still living under the impression that Alucard was merely a dark empowered human. No need for him to find out that Al was a dhampire.

The kitchen had been shut down for the night leaving Yoko to be patting the wall looking for the light switch. Her hands hit the switch filling the room with much welcomed light, especially since she was about to trip over a broom someone had left out. She took the broom and put it back in it's proper closet before someone else actually did manage to trip over it. Meanwhile her bear, who had been placed on the counter, was making a mad dash towards where the bread was kept.

Meanwhile...

"I'm above and beyond ashamed of you, I hope you realize that. Never once did I think that you would go so far as to cut off the hand of Cardinal D'Arsit." Alucard sat stiffly on the same chair the Pope had vacated hours ago. Soma still covered up and gagged though the way he moved indicated that he was squirming with shame. Alucard sat back in his seat gazing at Soma's bound state wondering why the boy had to go and do something so foolish when he knew what would happen. Further more, what would trigger that response out of the boy. He tried to brush aside the most obvious answer, that the boy was worried about him. "Do you realize that I am not a child and that I can take care of myself?" he asked.

Part of him worried over his father's presence, at how his father seemed more willing to submit for the sake to be around him. Could his father be pressing Soma's feelings in such a direction to make up for the inability to be there in person? But if that was the case what could Alucard honestly do? Soma knew he was Count Dracula, but didn't know that as Dracula he had a son. If Alucard pushed too hard about Soma's feeling it may reveal more to Soma then Alucard was willing to risk. He was thriving off the distance between Soma and himself, content that Soma was in control and safe. But if something happened and Soma grew close... if he found himself bonded to Soma he didn't know what he would do. He didn't want to lose his father again, even now, though he knew his father had been reincarnated, his bond was to his father's vampire side. Not his human side, if he bonded to that... Alucard wasn't sure if he could survive another century after losing that side of his father, even if it was to something as natural as old age.

"Do you even care that I can take care of myself? You must realize by now the danger you have put yourself in. I don't know if I can protect you from the Church." He admitted, reveling in how Soma took his scolding so quietly. Ok so he was taking it quietly because he was gagged, but still, it was quiet for Alucard.

Considering the mild headache the Dhampire had he didn't think he could maintain a civil tone of conversation if Soma argued. Not with the Oils aggravating his already pained condition further, in that he was grateful that Soma was gagged. "Soma I want you to listen to me and listen well. You can't just assume that because you rejected the throne that everyone believes that. I realize that after the events in the false castle you've had a problem dealing with your emotions. But if this is what is to be expected every time you are let out into a crowd." He sighed quietly before finally instructing Soma, "reliquish Claimh Solais to my care. I can no longer trust your instincts."

The holy weapon appeared hovering over the table before falling with a clatter onto the wood. Soma didn't move even to resist the ropes as he sat there, his head bowed while Alucard lifted up the bladed weapon and rested it upon his lap. It glittered with an inner light that resonated with the darkness within the person holding it. It's light growing more intense in response to the darkness within himself. But so much of his powers were gone that it shone with a weaker light then the light shown when it was in Soma's hands. Taking this weapon from Soma meant taking the strongest defense Soma had short of his souls from his hands. "I do not take pleasure doing this Soma, but I must protect you, and your behavior makes it harder for me."

There was a click at the door and a blond haired witch came into the room a sandwich in her mouth, a tray in her hands. The soft sounds of drinks swishing in their glasses as she made her way over to the pair. It was as she put the tray down and moved towards Soma, her hands going for his head that he realized what she was up to. "Must you? I've never had such a sophisticated conversation with Soma, it seems a shame for it to end like that." It was rather comical the way that she turned to look at him, her sandwich drooping a bit in a chastising glance. One shared by her SnuggyWuggy, of whom he was trying desperately to ignore for his own sanity. Over five hundred years of life and Alucard 'still' had no answer for what possessed him to challenge the then eight year old Yoko to use her magic. Oh if only he had known she 'could' use her magic like that, he would never have spoken a word.

But he didn't, and now he had a stuffed toy bear trying to scold him while Yoko took off the hood from Soma's head. The offended, ready to argue, expression on Soma's face slipped away when he caught sight of SnuggyWuggy from the corner of his eye. Alucard could even see the corners of the kid's mouth perk up in amusement, ready to make a few statements about the toy that was currently waving it's paw at Alucard in a scolding manner.

Yoko removed the offending gag then before Soma could, and he would, make a crack about the antics going on before him, she shoved a sandwich into his mouth. Not only did she shove the sandwich into his mouth, she shoved it in via the corner forcing the maximum amount of food as she could without cramming it down his throat. Meanwhile Alucard accepted the plate and sandwich that were clearly meant for him.

"Well?" Soma finally spoke amid falling crumbs of bread earning a disapproving look from Alucard.

"Well what?" Alucard asked neatly, between bites.

"Well what's going to happen to you?" Soma finally asked sobering the mood in the room up again with just that one question.

"I fail to understand your question, as I have done nothing wrong there is no reason for there to be concern over my well being." Alucard replied calmly while Soma was hand fed by Yoko.

"Then why did he hurt you? The Pope tried to explain it to me... Is it really all my fault? Is my very life going to be nothing but trouble for you?" Soma asked his head down as he chewed another bite.

"Soma, I will not lie. Your existence was not anticipated, I did not believe there was any good in Count Dracula and therefore take the possibility you would be born into account. You create a great deal of difficulties for me." Black satin shifted over slender shoulders as Alucard admitted in a formal tone, one used when someone had to say something they rather not have.

"I'm sorry... I don't want to die out of hand, but I'm sorry."

"The desire to live exists within all of us. There is no shame in that, what has happened after the Castle is a learning experience for all of us." Yoko tried to break the growingly oppressive mood, though she didn't opt for the overly perky approach.

"What will happen to you if the Vatican decides that I'm, too, big a threat?" Soma asked into the growing silence of the room.

"You should have thought of that before you attacked the Cardinal." Alucard stated his tone a matter of fact. Soma drooped dishearteningly in the chair while his mind was allowed to create all types of scenarios in his head.

"What will I do if someone else from a cult comes after me? Now that I don't have my sword anymore." Soma asked quietly from where he sat his sandwich gone.

"Finally let me do my job and protect you?" Alucard suggested in a near condescending tone.

The meal became sand in the mouths of the trio, it was so strange how the source of their happiness and sorrow seemed bound to a young man in a long white trench coat. They stayed for as long as they could, until Alucard himself decided he could handle no more of the Oils used to subdue Soma. They hadn't talked much after the discussion, there was nothing that came to mind that could encourage the boy after all.

As they made their way out of the room, down the darken hallways and towards the upper levels of the church...

"Of course you realize that you are an idiot."


	6. Life in the Zoo

Dawn of Sorrow, Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: Been sitting in my comp for a while forgot I finished this chapter. Two words... FOOD FIGHT!

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Soma sat at the window of his new room, a frown crossing his lips and a distant gaze in his eyes. A new ring, on his right hand, made of gold inlaid with multiple jewels caught the light and sparkled in the afternoon sunshine. Much the same way that the a lethal snake shimmered in the light of the sun if you caught it lying under the flowers of a warm day. His coat rested on the bed behind him, and his black button on shirt and jeans were all he wore at the moment besides that cursed ring. In fact, given the way he looked and how still he sat, one would have thought he was posing for a 'thoughtful young man' painting.

Outside, the lavish expensive mansion rested within a large encircling of trees that cut off the fact that the mansion rested on the island of Japan. On an island where space was a precious commodity this lavish mansion and land, could be seen as second only to the royal family themselves, all but screamed the sheer importance of the lone owner. There were five full bedrooms, three converted into offices, one that had been converted into an office then back into a bedroom when Soma had moved in and one that was for the owner. While one office oddly enough was located in the basement, though the office was split in half, with one half the office, the other half the work out room. Two full bathrooms, a rather ironically small kitchen, an elegant dining room that contrasted completely with the otherwise stern mansion that lacked any of the visual touches that most people liked in their overly expensive houses.

A stripped down Baroque period style of design that, instead of building up from the front door towards the office or where ever Arikado would stylize his 'throne room', lead misleadingly to several different rooms. In fact whenever Soma dared venture through out the mansion he felt like he was walking through a modified, more benign version of the very castle he escaped from. From the curved steps that led up to a foreboding and intimidating porch, through a red oak door that for some unknown reason seemed to challenge a person's right to merely knock on it. Yet somehow Soma didn't feel surprised that Arikado would surround himself with a mansion that would frighten people away from contacting him.

Soma didn't believe anyone had the nerve to even dare try to pull Halloween pranks on this mansion even if they 'could' reach it. The grounds were sterile with nothing more then the standard grass, not even wild flowers grew on the land. Though oddly enough there were no gates around the mansion, no visible fences save the trees themselves. Even when Arikado drove them up there he never saw the mansion until they finally reached the grounds. It was as though the road itself just went on forever until suddenly the mansion offered to show itself to the driver.

It was a exile, an isolation, a banishment from humanity for simply being the humanity of the worlds' greatest evil. The worst part about it was the ring itself, it made him feel like a caged animal, as bad as his fate had already been this made it worse. It was akin from going to a reserve to living in a substandard zoo.

"Great Master it is time for Lunch... the Young Master would like for you to join him if that is acceptable?" The Fairy had materialized inside the room, in a emerald green gown with long blond hair and a small crown of flowers on her head. She hovered above the ground her wings beating rapidly to hold herself aloft.

"Why... do you call Arikado the 'Young' master and I the 'Great' master?" Soma asked giving the being a distracted glance of the eye. It was something that often confused him when it came to the way Arikado's servants addressed him and the older man. It was odd as Arikado was older and more experienced then Soma yet was being addressed as younger.

"Because the Great Master rules over all of the Dark children, while the Young Master rules over us few who serve him." She replied simply hovering a respectful distance from Soma.

"But why 'young' why not just 'master'?" Soma continued trying to figure out the strange way the servants viewed the residents of the mansion. But she merely shrugged and he gave up on that distraction before standing up. Feeding time for the animals apparently, oh how Soma felt he was going to loath this punishment.

Soma reached the dining room with the fairy guiding him the whole way which was just as well. The last time Soma had been here he had not been in any condition to walk around, the servants had tended more to him then anything else. Though he didn't know how he managed to find Arikado in the mansion on his own back then. Soma reached the dinning room without fanfare, Arikado was already seated at the right hand of the more ornately designed chair while on the opposite of the table the slightly lesser designed chair rested, both heads of the table bore place settings as though there was an expectation that someone would take those chairs. The room was next to silent, the only sounds seemed to come from the fairy's wings and Soma's own breathing.

"Arikado, why did you want me to have lunch with you?" Soma asked as he walked up to the table settling himself at the left hand side of the head seat.

The dark suited Dark Child faced him calmly, without an emotion flickering in his eyes. The room was lit by a chandler that hung above the table with countless tear drop shaped crystals that hung casting a myriad of lights about the room. It was odd, that as stern as the mansion appeared, Arikado looked completely removed and detached even from his surroundings.

"As you are now going to be living with me, I decided I needed to lay the ground rules to you. Preferably before you bring chaos into my sanctuary." Arikado stated in a tone that said 'you are not going to argue with me on this.'

Of course Soma's answer was to start waving his newly ringed hand to bring attention to it as though to answer with a 'oh really?'.

"Soma there are countless beings on this world the same age and gender as you who can bring down the wrath of pure chaos on any location, and unlike you? They have no power other then what they can produce on their own. I expect you to be no less destructive or chaotic in whatever endeavor you attempt." While Soma sat there twitching as he repressed the desire to beat the living hell out of his guardian, Arikado continued. "I refuse to let you blow anything up in my sanctuary at your pleasure."

"You're a jerk." Soma fumed as the Fairy ladled a bowl of soup for him.

"And the only one willing to keep watch over you." Arikado replied agreeably as he caught an anger flung bread roll before it hit his face. "Tell me. Are you truly turning 21 this year?"

"In the fall..." Soma grumped sulking that Arikado caught the roll.

"You may use your sword during practice should you desire to do so, I have a small training room next door to the office you found me in during your first stay." Arikado added as the fairy began ladling soup for him.

"Oh... Is that why part of the walls in your office were made of stone?" Soma asked sounding still a little miffed, but willing to be distracted at least for now.

Arikado nodded before continuing, "my familiars will provide you with what you need, in terms of food or guidance through out my sanctuary."

As Arikado went on about the rules Soma noted how Arikado spoke, never referring to the mansion as his home rather as his 'sanctuary'. His mind went back to when he was talking to Arikado back in The Castle, a phrase Arikado has used. Before he could think more on the topic though a sudden realization of a 'rule' broke his thoughts. "WHAT GIRLS?! WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR?!" he demanded heatedly.

"I'm merely attempting to stop any potential baby Soma's or baby Mina's from running all over the place." The righteous outburst of teenager denial deflated and became an embarrassed look. Watching Soma quietly shrink into his shirt and the chair was almost amusing to Alucard. "Oh I see, so you 'were' planning on such behavior here."

"I WAS NOT!" That embarrassed teenage wail was accompanied by a flood of bread rolls being flung at Arikado's seat all at once. As the basket rattled to a stop on Arikado's abandoned seat, a quiet clearing of the throat got Soma to look up at at his right to find Arikado leaning against the table. The man stood there with his hands in his pockets as casual as though he had been standing there the whole time and not on the other side of the table in a chair. It was the first time Soma saw Arikado do something that didn't involve magic, something that showed his otherworldly Dark Child status. Sulking he sat quietly in his chair realizing there was nothing he could do against the teasing. Though Arikado of all people teasing him seemed a bit off the wall to be certain. "Have you been drinking? I can't imagine why you would actually tease me." He pointed out as he half heartedly sipped his soup.

"I'm not teasing merely pointing out that any child you father will be a Dark Child. There is no guarantee how that child will grow to the world, even if you reject the throne how will you know if your child does not decide to take the throne for themselves?"

"You know with a personality like that, if you could market it? I don't think a contraceptive on earth could have as good an effect." Soma grumbled glaring up at his guardian.

"It is not my intentions to stop you from procreating, just to stop you from being irresponsible about it." Arikado pointed out.

"You make me not want to touch anyone." Soma grumbled in response staring ahead of him.

"Even better, if you have no children I won't have to protect them as well." Arikado replied sounding almost pleased with that.

"Why would you have to protect them? Are you immortal or something?" Soma sulked.

"No, just smart enough not to rush head long into every danger until sooner or later something kills me." They began what would be one of many stare downs following that statement. In the end it was a business call that pulled Arikado away from the table to a private discussion while the Fairy continued cleaning the mess Soma had made. She finished just as Arikado finished his phone call and returned to the table and the meal.

They finished the rest of lunch in silence, Soma clearly lost in thought while Arikado went through his meal with all the serious demeanor of someone eating before King William of England. It was odd how the pair was able to have a whole meal together in complete silence and not be bothered by it. It was an odd thing in it's own way, as it carried on as though they had had meals together hundreds of time. Despite knowing next to nothing about the other, they didn't pry into questions that may bother or be upsetting. Without thought Soma handed over condiments not even needing to be asked while the Fairy towed in light snacks for the pair. It wasn't until the mini battle for the croissants began that it looked like anything could disturb this meal.

"How can you possibly be that svelte when you want to eat this much?" Arikado asked his fingers stubbornly guarding his croissants.

"I'm a growing boy!" He retorted sharply throwing his head back imperiously.

"You haven't grown since 2031." Arikado replied calmly.

"How would you know?" Soma asked amazed at that.

"I'm your Guardian."

"You sound more like a Stalker." Somehow Soma got the feeling that the phrase 'I'm your Guardian' was going to become a catch phrase for every question Soma had regarding Arikado's presence in his life. "I bet you have a couple of hundred pictures of me stashed away on your computer somewhere." He jibbed in a sulky tone.

"179,109 from the first decade of your life, I have 291 since you turned 20." Arikado corrected causing Soma to pale at the admittance. "In case you require reminding. My whole existence, my employment to the Japanese government, my affiliation to the Catholic Church, you could say my whole life is centered around one thing only. Ensuring the continued banishment of Count Dracula, which was accomplished, however; as with all things it seems you just can't stay out of trouble. Either as a Dark Lord or as a teenager, and while some would suggest taking the easier route and simply eliminate you now while you are at your weakest. I am attempting to refrain from such vulgar actions, which by the by, is all the harder when you keep throwing yourself into danger, with all the foolishness of a child who thinks he is immortal."

Soma slammed his hand onto the table in frustration of more then just the feeling of overwhelming personal invasion to his whole life. But also the fact that he was constantly being told to stay behind. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You think I like putting lives in danger when I can handle it myself?"

"Handle what? You gave in to the violent hate that Dracula lives by, you killed Celia instantly, and ripped the control of the false castle from her and made it you're own. Are you trying to tell me that your idea of handling things is to make Yoko, Julius and I hunt you down?" It cut through Soma's hot anger with a cold blade of truth, that Soma was not emotionally strong enough to handle the hardships of dealing with what he was. "You're so strongly attached to the people around you that the moment one is harmed you give up everything you strive simply for a chance at revenge. Yet instead of staying behind where it is safe, you opt to put the lives of others in danger by going where you are in danger."

"Are you suggesting that I put my emotions away? Just lock them away?" Soma demanded still fighting the cold sorrow that was building in his heart.

"On the contrary, I want you to continue to feel so deeply for others, as Dracula you had not felt anything for anyone for ages. However; I do not want you to throw yourself into battles that can end up costing you your life." Soma sat before him incredibly despondent at that by then his eyes lowered in hopelessness. "Do not think badly of this situation you are now in, it is much better that people are willing to fight to protect you rather then abandon you." Arikado pointed out as Soma glared at him.

"I don't want you to die because of me!" Soma shot back his voice a mix of resentment, pain, and worry.

Arikado sat there staring at him quietly unruffled by the outburst and opted not to point out that by getting involved, Soma often made things more difficult for others. But by the long look he gave Soma it was clear Soma got the message all the same. With his meal finished Arikado neatly pushed himself away from the table, and stood up. He walked to the door with an eerie silence unattainable by normal humans, but he stopped when his hand rested on the doorknob. As Soma's voice caught his ear and stilled him to the spot.

"Regardless of what he chose to do with his life, I'd still love him."

He probably meant it as a quietly voiced opinion, to be heard by his own ears so he could grow comfortable with that thought. Arikado turned his head though, glancing over his shoulder at Soma who was sitting with a distracted air about him. One leg lazily draped over the knee of the other leg, his body reclined like he was ready to fall asleep from the sheer boredom of the moment. Even from the side Arikado could see his father in the way that Soma sat.

In his brief study of reincarnation, as his study had been more about resurrection, it had been said that people reborn into a new life brought only facets of the old self. Regardless of how powerful the past life was at invading the current life, it did not take complete control. So the question was, how much of Soma Cruz was based off of Dracula? Did Soma's feelings completely copy Dracula's? After all he did have a tendency to lose himself to his anger. Arikado shook the thoughts out of his head before turning his attention back to the door and leaving. Ridiculous; his father could never love a traitor.


	7. FlashBacks long Night

Dawn of Sorrow, Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

"_O Prince, what may we bring you?" The maid came before him, her bloated pale fingers smoothing out her dress as she spoke. The other servants of the castle began to slowly approach him, but unlike the times before it was submissively. His father had not left instructions on how to deal with the Prince. So the monsters now were looking to him for some guidance, heir apparent to a legacy he wanted no part of._

_He gave no indication that he either noticed or cared about another maid approaching him. Even though this one was more nervous as she carried a large ornate chalice filled with fresh blood. So of course every monster was on high alert for the slightest sign of displeasure from the Prince. It had been over five hundred years since he had partaken of any blood that was not absorbed through magic. Despite the fact that the blood was from an animal, the scent alone telling him that much, there was always the possibility of rejection._

_He eyed the chalice, noting almost absently its deep rich color and alluring scent. It had been so long since he had drank fresh blood, a hunger he had fought with for ages that normally human food, in enough quantity, could at least help him ignore. But at that time, working to both sustain and restrain Soma, he found his strength beginning to lag and the blood 'would' be a fine way to restrengthen himself. The door clicked ahead of him drawing his attention away from the blood that waited for him. _

_There was a rather tragic irony in the being that was Graham Jones, the man came to the castle professing to his followers that he was Dracula Reborn. Here was a bright, charismatic young man who could have had any number of futures. Wasting his life away on a title he had no valid claim to while dragging others down with him, how utterly pathetic. The man always wore white or highly pale grays or blues, his 'rejection' if one would, to the somber black of the clergy of most Juedeo-Christian faiths. _

"_I believe we have not met," Graham carried himself as a man who believed he owned this castle already. His words were smooth while his eyes took in the sight of this new stranger that he had met. Those born and or trained to pick up the aura of a person would clearly be able to tell Alucard's aura. While surrounded by the minions of Dracula, one offering him a chalice with drink. _

"_No, we have not met in person, however; I am aware of all who are within these walls." _

"_I see, and who may you be to have such expansive knowledge?" Graham replied his voice bearing the slight tone of arrogance and superiority._

"_If you know not who am I, then you, sir, are not who you claim to be." _

_It was an intentional verbal slap in the face, a remark with a slight hint of disdain at the 'sir' meant to degrade Jones' belief in his right to the Castle. _

_The most dangerous of games were games played by men. Jones believed himself to be the Lord of the Castle. By making that claim he was stating that he was the Lord of Darkness, and that the Castle should obey his every whim. However; the castle itself was not clearly serving him, the monsters responded to Jones in the same way it responded to anyone else within it for the most part. If that had been the case it would be justified, indeed his duty to punish Alucard for his insolence. _

_Only the monsters in this room were standing around Alucard in deferral of something that Jones didn't know. If he was Dracula, then presumably Alucard's identity, further more his right to make such remarks, would be more evident. The maids stayed by Alucard's side the chalice not removed from its position. The monsters faced Alucard with the respect due to the Lord of the Castle, not some stranger. Yet he did not claim to be the Lord of the Castle. _

"_Then you are a servant." Jones replied it was more a statement then a question. One that was scoffed readily._

"_I serve no man." _

_A double edged reply that on one side stated he served no human, and therefore Jones, but on the other side stated that he served something greater then a mere man. Death would not on it's own come before anyone in the castle, bound to it as the Entity was, it could not judge a new master. That was for the Castle itself to decide, allowing Alucard to continue stacking the odds of Jones being the New Lord higher against the man with each passing moment._

"_You may not be as powerful as you think you are. I may have died then, but I was able to immediately take over a new body that day." Jones replied a condescending gesture of the hand to express his 'superior' stance on the subject. _

"_If you believe that the Lord of Darkness could amass an army with a few weak fire spells, limited teleporting and an alternate form..." He shrugged his answer in a total lack of interest as he began to walk towards the door that Jones had just walked out of. As he walked the monsters behind him walked along as well, having not been dismissed and reinforcing the notion that despite his currently weakened levels of power, this person had a significant role in the Castle._

_The near silent war finally paid off, a tick at the corner of the eye, the elevation of a heartbeat as Jones began to realize something more. Eyes didn't shift color, not from elegant royal blue to glacier, from silver to gold. The room grew still, not even the flames of the occasional candle moved. "The power of Dracula, surely it has not awoken yet, for I have not reached the Master chambers. So tell me, what power can I expect to awaken when I arrive."_

_Alucard stopped then, by the man's side, Jones having moved a step realizing Alucard would just walk over him with no regard. Behind him, still humbly following was the maid with the chalice, it's contents now quite clear to the man in ivory. The heart rate was elevated, the hint of fear and lust clear in his scent, his posture, the man wasted his whole life believing in something so grand. _

_But he had never met a true monster, until this day he had never met one of the Children, following blindly as any other religion did. So now he stood by the Angel of Conviction, an Angel of Truth, for this was a true Child who could tell him everything. In a single meeting he had his faith confirmed, yet..._

"_The true power of Count Dracula... Is the Power to Rule, once he has tamed the soul of a single monster, he gains the ability to command all of those kind. Only when he is away from the world, or one of his blood may one defy his power and act of their own accord."_

_Jones started, the fear gave way to pure lust, any one of these monsters, once defeated would be his? How glorious a power!_

_Alucard said not a word, instead he lifted up the chalice and placed it to his lips. The tiniest of clinks heard as his fangs touched the glass as he drank down the sweet blood. His power rekindled he felt he could once again steadily apply his power to subduing Soma's darker side. Pleased with this revelation he moved on even as he felt a pair of eyes lock on to him from behind. _

"_And you? Where shall you be when I return to my throne?" Jones asked barely suppressing the eagerness of his tone._

"_I shall be where I have been all this time. By the side of the Lord of the Castle, serving him in these modern times." _

_Fresh blood, a delight upon the tongue and throat, even as the voice whispered that human blood tasted so much better. Even now, he would be doing everyone a favor if he drank the petty human's blood. But no, he could not afford to drink the blood of the man, Soma had to be awaken fully before the throne itself. Otherwise any fool who found their way to the Castle could trick it into assuming that they were the Lord of the Castle._

"_Then I shall spare you until then, so that you may give me your power as well." Jones replied his eyes almost aglow with the desire to reach the Master Chambers and assume control._

_The chalice shattered upon the stone floor as Alucard tossed it away without a backwards glance at the fool. _

And how utterly foolish. The fool drunk off the promise of power from the Master Chambers fell for Alucard's trap. A part of him felt a moments guilt when it came to the fact that he had manipulated Yoko and Jones so efficiently, to acquire his personal goal. He knew Yoko well enough that she would probably tell Soma the truth of his power sooner or later. Thus telling her was more effective then Alucard himself doing so, since unlike him, Yoko could make Soma's dark nature seem less frightening.

Thus it came to pass that Jones ran into Soma again and noted the boy's growing skills and abilities. It would only be natural to inquire about such power, wondering if he was facing a potential rival after all. It was just arrogance that made Jones believe that the Power to Rule was a power bestowed by the Castle upon the return of Dracula. Discovering that Soma was born with the very power that marked him as the true reincarnation drove the fool into madness after that.

"You're going out?"

The question pulled Alucard from his melancholy thoughts as he turned his head slightly and looking into the reflection of the mirror towards Soma. The teenager was standing in the doorway of Alucards' office, leaning against the wooden frame casually. He should have been annoyed with the Soma's brash willingness to walk into his office unannounced. Only he couldn't manifest any such feelings inside, as though some part of him simply just accepted that Soma was entitled to any part of the mansion.

"I have business to attend to this evening."

Soma walked over a mildly interested look in his eyes as he leaned over Alucard's shoulder. "Does this have anything to do with pizza?"

"Pizza?" one darken brown eyebrow arched up. "Are you insinuating that I have not fed you properly since your arrival?"

"No, the food's good, if you don't mind high class stuff all the time. But how about just some casual slacker food?"

"Slacker... rather how about I go and buy you some nice, healthy 'Puppy Chow'?" Alucard turned to face Soma with that still raised eyebrow. Soma 'did' have something of a soft, fluffy, type of appearance when he wore his coat. Or as Yoko had explained, he just looked more lovably approachable, or a Super PomPom. It wasn't as though Alucard could tell either way, the more he spent time with the boy, the more he saw his father in the youth. His father's proud stance and posture, his mannerisms when he was serious...

"Fine be that way, I hope you enjoy your 'business' tonight, dulcis parum procer."

With a flourished bow, Soma turned around, leaving a stunned Dhampire in his wake. Did Soma just call him a 'sweet little prince' in Latin? His mother's pet title for Alucard, one that his father only used when he had been showing a particularly strong sense of childishness.

"What did you just say?" he asked his voice clipped, to the uninitiated him being Soma, with anger.

Soma poked his fluffy head back into the room his expression mildly clueless, "huh? Oh, I said 'Fine be that way, I hope you enjoy your 'business' tonight.'" He repeated carefully, as though he figured Alucard could not follow normal speech without help. Old as he was...

A sharp glance from the Dhampire earned him a smirk and Soma was gone walking away to find something else to amuse himself with. Impudent child, if one accounted all of his years as the Dark Lord he was far older then Alucard himself. If there was anyone in need of a hearing aid it was Soma.

But that was neither here nor there, Alucard had matters to attend to in regards to protecting that irrational Dark Lord. So with his night planned out he handed over his brush to his green dressed familiar and his demon placed the keys to his car into his other hand. Two more familiars draped his coat over his shoulders as he walked out of his office. Since he lacked an actual bedroom, the closest to one he had was being occupied by Soma after all.


	8. Late Night Meetings

Dawn of Sorrow, Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta by: No one

A/N: You know... I looked back and realized I hadn't updated this fic in a year... Sorry, I was going to do it yesterday on Halloween and got stuck on Imagine for the rest of the day. If you ever do MMORPG's and someone invites you on a dungeon run that you KNOW both of you are woefully underleveled for? Do like you were taught about drugs. Just say 'No'.

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"Shouldn't the disappearance of Dracula make the cults numbers go down not up?"

"Faith is blind, they do not need to see Dracula or even acknowledge, him to do his bidding. His absence would only make their determination all the stronger I can image."

"So now we have two splintered cults one of Jones and one from Fortner that have merged. How could they possibly be willing to do this? I thought they were standing for two different reasons."

"Not really, Jones was going on about how 'he' was Dracula, while the core of Fortner's cult was supposedly a balance. She was preaching about needing Dracula as a force for evil to ensure God's goodness. But in actuality she didn't want to lose her natural born talent for demon summoning. Something that apparently is fading from the world now that Dracula is gone."

"But he is not gone, merely sleeping."

The conversation stopped at that point, Alucard stood there staring down at Tokyo from his office window. A full moon shown it's light down upon him, tossing his shadow onto the ground. If Soma had been there he would have asked a thousand questions. As the man's shadow did not match how he physically appeared, or how the faint ghost of a reflection on the window showed a blond in old aristocratic clothes. But Soma was not there, he was in Alucard's Sanctuary doing who knew what while he had the free time.

But the silence was meant for him, so that Alucard could speak on the topic of the night's discussion. A slight turn of the head and he studied the trio in his office, Alex, Julius and Yoko. Everyone felt that Julius was too old to be involved, and he needed more to be at home. His heirs were of the right age, but his time with amnesia meant that Julius never trained his sons, thus they were ill prepared. Instead Alexander had arrived from Britain, leaving his twin, the current Morris and offshoot witch there. So while Alucard exceeded all their ages by centuries, his body was eternally young. Even if his soul felt ancient, worn and tired, he had to continue this fight.

He walked from the window towards his office desk, before sitting down to formally view those around him. He knew what was being asked of him. If Soma could retain his own identity against Dracula's. If a young boy with a young boy's awareness and limitations could restrain ages of rage and hate. He looked at each pair of eyes staring at him expectantly, how long had he lived with such expectancy forced upon him?

His desk was stern, there were no pictures of family, nothing to indicate that he even existed. The whole office was so untampered that upon his death or disappearance, the room could be cleaned up with light dusting, the removal of several folders and be done. But if the threat was gone, he should have left as well. Why was he still here if the threat of Dracula was gone from the world?

"Soma can retain control, but only if those he is strongly attached to are safe. He's too young, still susceptible to the manipulations of others and will succumb to it if left on his own." He leaned back in his seat, waiting for the rest to think on his words before continuing. "His recent actions have also received the scrutiny of the Holy Church."

"Yes, but we can't say we feel bad about that guy losing his hand." Alexander vocalized what he and his sister both felt. "It's why our allegiance is to you Lord Alucard and not the church."

"You shouldn't call him 'Lord Alucard' all the time you know. Soma doesn't know that name and if you ever need to talk to Al you may have to go through Soma," Yoko pointed out. Using what had somehow manifested as the cute nickname for Alucard.

"We need to keep an eye on you as well," Julius replied, causing Alucard to shift his gaze towards the aged hunter. "It's a parent's instinct Alucard, Soma may be a restart of an old life, but he's not shaking off the chains of his past. He's trying, but some things reach too deep to be pulled out." The man settled a bit more, looking for comfort in the stiff chair he sat in. "As ancient as you are, I can tell you one thing from my experience, a parent guards their children as fiercely as we have defended humanity."

His silence was his answer, after all he had sided with humanity; any warmth or closeness between himself and his father was long since lost. There was no point in wasting his life with 'what could have beens' or should have beens. He made his choices, he'd live with them and would see them through to the end. But that was neither here nor there, there about the cult and it's status. Instead he turned his attention back to the folder filled with paperwork regarding information on the cult.

"What about this, has there been no progress since the last check?"

"With both leaders gone the question was raised on who would take their places, or would one unite them both. There are signs that a leader or several have taken the mantle left by their founders. But right now they are resettling themselves into positions, all the same it's worrisome." Alexander shifted in his seat as he looked across at the group. "The Dark Children are growing restless, they sensed the moment's when Soma's rage started peaking. Some were terrified, others raged along with him."

"This is a learning curve though, never in all our families histories have we faced a situation like this. We literally get to start from scratch and try to stop Dracula from re-emerging in the world," Yoko pointed out ,in one of her more calmer states of being.

"It would be better to kill him before he has the chance," Alexander pointed out, without preamble.

"Perhaps, but perhaps not. Soma may just be reincarnated over and over until he's lived out a full human life," Julius pointed out, his tone and voice thoughtful as he spoke his thoughts. "More then that though, 'can' he grow old?"

Alucard turned his full attention towards the aged hunter, struck curious by the question. "Of course he can, how can he not when he has grown up to this age." The thought of Soma's hot headed, impetuous nature lasting for eternity was enough to give him mental shivers of horror.

"Yes, but that could have stopped upon him awakening to his power. After all he's gained the power over time, even if released from lack of use, it may still have some trace within himself."

"Father and Son, together forever, without trying to kill each other," Yoko interjected, with a teasing smile and a glint in her eyes.

"Are you trying to give me nightmares?" Alucard asked finally looking at Yoko without a movement betraying his feelings. Both for humorous and emotional self preservation made that mental image horrifying.

"Don't be silly. If I wanted to do that I would tell you about Mina's future plans for Soma," this was said with a wicked grin, that would do an evil witch proud. And stated with such confidence that Al was going to connect the dots on his own. Which he did, the look on his face grew colder and the grin on her face got bigger.

Alexander gave a polite cough aiming to break the teasing Yoko was inflicting upon the esteemed prince.

"Will there be trouble from the European Children, Alexander?" Julius asked finally lifting his head up from his thoughtful posture. "Or the America's, will they join these cults?"

"We do not believe so. For once Father and Son," with this Alexander lowered his head respectfully towards Alucard. "Lord and Prince are unified in their opinions and feelings. The Dark Children will not move against humanity when it is clear that their King and Prince oppose another war." But there was a silent threat in the subtext, since everyone in that room knew that if the King declared war...

"King, it's kinda funny, I can see Soma as a king when he's in the mood. But I just can't see him as a king..." Yoko shook her head at the thought of Soma sitting on a throne with a crown cocked off the side of his head like a kid.

"That is because you have never seen 'him'." Alucard replied from his seat behind his desk. The statement was calm as it cut through the teasing tone Yoko had. Yoko had not been in the Master Chambers when Soma's awareness came into full. The strength or imperiousness that could only belong to Dracula himself. With the powers of darkness flowing about him invisible to the naked eye, clear as day to one such as himself. But more then that, there had been resignation and fatigue in that proud stature. Regardless of how he had awoken, Dracula had been tired, uninterested in resuming this war as well. _Why have you awaken me? I was happy the way I was! _Dracula was happy living a human life, freed from those who sought a war.

"Soma, no matter what way we try to discuss it, is far more dangerous then any of his previous incarnations. He's in his youth, the full of his strength and I am woefully in decline as well as my sons unprepared for such a battle," Julius stated firmly, returning the subject to it's source.

"Which means we need to make sure no one uses him in such a way as to cause a relapse," Alexander agreed.

"That may or may not be possible. Life is random, there is no way to ensure that the loss of a loved one, or an accident will or will not occur," Alex pointed out, but Yoko shook her head.

"This isn't the middle ages or before even, if someone died in just an accident, or illness Soma would handle that fine. It's when people die because Soma, himself, is their target that he loses control. Life doesn't en mass take all a person's loved ones away in a single swoop all that often, if it's just flukes, or accidents..." Yoko counter argued then shrugged.

"He'll be fine," Alucard nodded in agreement.

"You openly agree with me? Who are you and what have you done with our Al?" Yoko beamed her gaze straight ahead. Because if she looked at Alucard the teasing would carry on. "Which brings us back to our original reason for this meeting. The group may be going underground, but even so we need to know what to expect. These guys could go back after Soma, which would bring us back to the situation of him going evil."

With that Yoko went back to the file that had been left on the desk for them to exam. "How safe is your sister in this mission Alex? Seeing that she's the plant," after all who better to survive what this group could concoct, then someone who had been there and done that?

"Your concern is touching, but it is an honor to serve him and protect this world," Alex replied giving a polite nod towards Alucard.

"I am a Vampire Prince, not a human one, you need not pledge your allegiance to me over and over through out the centuries," Alucard pointed out. Reaching into his coat to remove his cellphone, flipping it to find a message waiting for him. Meanwhile Yoko continued elaborating on what Alexis was able to discover.

Pizza? Y/N

He was going to have to talk to his familiars about giving Soma his number.

No.

He was in the process of sliding his phone back into his coat when another message arrive.

D(

Grow up Soma.

Fine.

And then...

Goblet of Fresh Blood? Y/N

Fine, what kind of Pizza.


	9. A Prince and a Witch

Dawn of Sorrow, Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta: none

A/N: Holy Crap I'm back folks! This chapter came out remarkable easy and I do apologize for the length between chapters. So to try and make up for it...

No, Soma isn't craving blood, he's teasing Arikado about being a 'Vampire' King.

Originally I had another chapter being worked on for the official chapter 8, however nothing came out right. Eventually what you got became the official chapter 8, however the other chapter will be coming up again. But the original theme of a meeting and the reason why never changed.

As I've come to learn a Pope has two names, the one he is born with, and the one he takes on when he takes on the Mantle of Pope. The Pope in this story took on the name of Alexander, while Alexander LeCarde was born with this name. Alexis is in fact his twin sister.

The wolf was away, so the panther was left to play.

_The routine remained the same, go to school, come back to the estate and be greeted by the Forgotten Clock. Soma's own name for the grandfather clock that stood in the main foyer of the estate's interior. Time in the castle was like the time in the estate, in total suspended motion. After the first day that Arikado left to 'take care of business', his words not Soma's, the teen inquired the beings of the Estate about that clock. _

"_Why doesn't anyone wind it back up? Is it broken?" Soma asked standing before the clock itself. Save the castle, Soma hadn't seen a true grandfather clock his whole, modern, life. There was something nostalgic about wood and metal working side by side to keep time. A tree was killed to make such a clock, yet after it's 'time' was over it proceeded to keep time for other living beings. On darker nights, the irony of the Grandfather clock resonated into Soma's soul. But for that moment he was only interested in the way the wood was carved to make the images, and walls of the clock. Idle thoughts. Keep moving._

"_It stopped on the day that the Young Master left into battle in 1999," the Fairy in blue answered hovering behind him, below his left shoulder._

"_1999? Wait...wouldn't that make Arikado roughly the same age as Julius?" Soma turned to look over his left then his right shoulders. _

_Both Fairies looked up from where they hovered, below his shoulder blades, first at him, then at each other, then returning their gaze upon him. "He is far older then that."_

Soma was bored, a dangerous thing to be, when one was Soma, so once again he began investigating the estate. There were secrets to the gentleman who owned it, secrets he wanted answers to. Arikado, who's name seemed to mock the curious, hinting of a dark linage and that everything about him was an illusion.

For now, he was curious about Arikado, clearly the man didn't have a woman of his own, or a life outside of work. No hobbies were discernible, save for his banter with Yoko, it was as though Arikado existed solely for work. That once the work day was done, he disappeared completely. Yet Arikado was supposed to teach him how to control his dark nature. The man struck Soma as such a perfectionist that it seemed impossible to think that he would allow Soma to wander around loose. After all, Soma now had to live with the man because of his level of danger to society, and he had a ring to prove that.

Ignoring the ring, he strode out of the room, his blue eyes scanning the hallway for something to take his boredom away. Boredom or anxiety, either word worked, so long as he wore the ring that sealed away his powers. A cursed diamond surrounded by bewitching blood red rubies, Soma could not remove the ring to save his life. Nor could he summon his souls with the ease he was used to. The Pope had stated it was his punishment for his actions, which he understood. But there was a deep seated resentment that he didn't know where from, that made him wary of the ring on his hand.

"_There is more to you, then you are able to process or deal with."_

Those had been Arikado's words to him, the last time he had seen the man several days ago. Since then all Soma had been doing was attempting to distract himself. He just had to wait until the older man returned, Arikado would help him. He promised to do so, as long as Soma didn't succumb to his evil nature. With that in mind Soma had stayed restricted to the estate despite his ever growing boredom in hopes for that training.

The servants did their best to accommodate him presenting him with such things as a step pad for games, a television for said games and well.. a video game system, it just wasn't much. Living in Japan meant constantly being surrounded by people. Even if the nation was on a state of population decline, after all a nation busy with technology had little time for children. Soma living in the city was surrounded by that fact during a school trip. When they went out into the farm lands and found only the old there.

"_The modern world has little use for the old ways. People have come to decide that the old ways are not necessary and disregard it with increasing frequency."_

"_Yes, people tend to forget what isn't in front of them at any given time. The scars of the old wars get forgotten, people try to turn into spin doctors making the pain suffered seem bearable. Even if it's a distortion of the truth. I suppose the Dark Children could live openly in society to remind humanity that they are not the lone inheritors of this world. But humans have proven to be incapable of coexisting on this planet with other humans, much less non-human beings._

Oh, the blue dressed fairy was floating by, giving Soma a distraction he needed. Since he had neglected to ask how on Earth the Fairies got their hands on an old gaming system to start with. Old gaming system with save cards loaded with Yoko's name on them.

"Hey! Fairy, I want to ask you something," Soma followed the fluttering winged being as she stopped. Turning in midair to give him her full attention, dusting her dress off to try to look as proper as possible. "How did you guys get a hold of the entertainment system you gave me the other day?"

"'Entertainment system'? You mean the television and games? Oh they've been here, as the Young Master had permitted the witch to bring them into the estate," she answered promptly.

Which raised an eyebrow on Soma's face as he tried to figure out why Yoko would want games in the first place. Considering their banter, Yoko clearly knew Arikado for a great deal of time so it was reasonable to think that he would allow her. But then on the heels of that thought came another one, as he remembered what they said. That Arikado was as old as Julius, thus meaning he was old enough to have been an adult during Yoko's childhood. "What was it like when she was here?" Maybe Arikado had more personality back then?

"Allow me to get the other Fairy, between the two of us, we can do more then just tell you what happened," the Fairy offered. With a nod from him she fluttered off into the estate while he was left standing in the hallway.

The walls were bare of any artwork, everything within the building held a solid design. It was unto itself an opposite homage to the Castle of Dracula, Soma decided as he stood there. For every hallway with elaborate paintings, designs, or decoration in the castle, the estate was the exact opposite. It felt as though Arikado was trying so hard to be the exact opposite of Dracula, but Soma didn't want to dwell on those thoughts or questions. The memories of Dracula were more akin to a hallway with thousands of shut doors. The more he thought about them, the closer he got to those sealed doors, and heard what was on the other side...

"Here we are! We can provide the master with a much better display then if we tried to orally explain," the blue dressed fairy announced. The pair fluttered up to him, before linking hands and weaving a bewitching spell. Well if not for the power that Soma had he wouldn't have known it to be any form of spell. Nothing in the area changed the slightest, to the point where he wondered if they messed up.

It wasn't until he heard a knock on the door down stairs and saw the same emerald green fairy floating before him, 'leave another room'... that he thought maybe something 'had' happened.

"Oh come on! He had to have done 'some' alterations to this place at some point!" Soma proclaimed, while the green dressed fairy opened the front door of the estate. He walked to the railing, watching as a Spanish lady walked into the house, her blond hair and lightly tanned skin could have been Japanese reproduced, save her non-Asian eyes gave away her foreign birth. At her heels was a young blond girl, holding what Soma knew to be Snuggywuggy. Which made it clear that the girl was Yoko, trailing along, though she looked excited.

Odd though to see the bear doing nothing, Soma was used to watching it acting on it's own without direction. She was rocking on the balls of her feet, before dashing into the entryway, a pink girlish dress with a yellow sash around her waist. The typical little girl clothes to be expected he thought. After all it wasn't as though he watched little girls to know what they wore. But he could see the Japanese blood in Yoko's eyes, the slant that proved she wasn't purely Spanish. Yet the light in her eyes that showed she was purely Yoko. No witch was quite like this.

_The little blond bounded about in the room, looking excited as the servants of the estate began to enter the area. _

"_Oh you've brought your daughter."_

Arikado had a rather unique familiar, a Nose Demon. One who wore a mask and had the most flippant personality, yet it was as faithful to Arikado as any of his other more formal familiars. But it's antics had an ability to bring a smile to Soma's face._ The girl walked up fearlessly to the collection of familiars that resided within the Estate. Then again, Yoko was probably used to this stuff or getting used to it._

_Yoko moved cheerfully, while her mother walked up behind her. The girl looked about at the various familiars, her small hands reached up to touch the hovering demons and fairies, the ghost and hovering bat. The sword hung back studying, not the child, but her mother as his booming strong, yet solemn voice asked, "be she worthy to serve our master?"_

_The question was clearly aimed towards her mother, yet Yoko answered with a bright "Sure am!"_

_There was so little sound, it was easy to miss, as the door opened to one of Arikado's offices. _He stepped out of that office and Soma could only gape, it was as Mina had said. The man simply did not age. Soma could have been in the past, or that Arikado been standing right there before him, but either way you sliced it. Arikado looked absolutely no different then he did back when Yoko herself was a child, giving far more credence to what Mina had once said. From that cold expression to the taste and style of his clothes Arikado never changed.

"_I see you have arrived promptly, and brought your child with you," Arikado noted as he stood at the top of the stairs, not ten feet away from where Soma stood, observing these things. _

"_Hi! You're that important person!" Yoko called up to Arikado before she ran to the stairs._

"_Yoko! What did I tell you!" her mother scolded, walking quickly after Yoko. _

_But for all intents and purposes, it seemed that Yoko had put her mother on ignore. Smiling up at the older man, Yoko beamed before saying happily, "hi! I'm Yoko!" Then as a more thoughtful expression danced across her face she added, "and you look so sad. Why?"_

"_Yoko!" her mother hissed grabbing her hand and pulling the girl down a step._

_Yet the outburst did nothing to phase Arikado, not even into raising an eyebrow in surprise. "I have been 'sad', as you put it, for well over six hundred years child."_

Six hundred YEARS? Soma went from trying to process how Arikado could look so young for so long, to how he could be alive for so much longer. Arikado couldn't be a vampire, he walked in direct sunlight!

"_Well that's going to have to change! I'll cheer you up!" Yoko replied, right before her mom finally gave her a hard shake to get her attention. _

_Arikado said nothing, his face blank of any possible emotion before turning on his heel, "there is potential within this one. She is acceptable."_

"_My bloodline will never fail to produce anything, but the best in the witches lineage, you need not worry," the older woman commented._

"_You forget yourself witch, those of your kind have served my father as well. Forget not your humanity and humility lest you become that which you loath."_

_Yoko clearly couldn't keep up with the topic of conversation, thus she continued up the stairs to meet Arikado formally. She grabbed his hand, an act that went against protocol considering the weight of the introduction. Arikado had all the aloofness of nobility with a greeting line walking by him. But it didn't bother Yoko as she wrapped one small hand around his fingers to stop him from leaving. More over she beamed up at him before saying, "I'm Yoko and this here is Snuggywuggy!"_

_He paused when she grabbed his fingers, turning only slightly to look down at her, while her mother finished climbing the stairs. She was clearly displeased with her daughters refusal to follow a privately spoking script between them._

"_Belnades," Arikado answered back with no inflection in his tone towards the child. He spoke Japanese as fluently as a full blood, but... _There was little to no sign of the traditional Japanese culture in the man. In that moment, Soma realized that Arikado had a distinctly European feel, despite having a completely Japanese name.

"_Nooo, it's 'Yo-ko'," the child repeated, adding emphasis on her name, her toy bear pressed tightly against her cheek. But Arikado stopped trying to walk forward as her mother pulled Yoko back and Yoko struggled to keep a hold of those fingers she had grabbed._

"_Stop this Yoko! You're embarrassing myself and your ancestors!" her mother scolded, her lips twisted into a frown. _

"_But I'm 'Yoko'," the child pouted, her tone held a form of confusion that Soma didn't quite understand._

"_Yoko, your name is Yoko. Very well then, if you're going to be insistent upon that, I will address you as that." Both blonds stopped and looked at Arikado as he disappeared into the estate, his fingers free of Yoko's tiny hand. _

"The young master has never addressed anyone by their name before, unless there is a signifigance to them that makes them memorable to him. Due to the number of people of the same family he meets, he just uses the family name as a reference point," the blue dress fairy explained.

Well over six hundred years old?

"Umm great master?" the green dressed fairy spoke, her tone nervous at Soma's odd silence. She had though that by seeing this, it would amuse and entertain him, not make him more silent.

"Why? Why won't anyone tell me about him? Why am I surrounded by so many secrets?" Soma asked looking between the pair.

While the voice in the depths of his soul whispered, _there 'is' a way to find out. You just have to let go..._

"That information has been classified, great master, the young master has already informed us of what we may, and may not inform you of."

The Sword familiar was an overly ornate blade that hung in the air as it floated along. It, along with the two demons, served as the estates' defenders. The bat stayed along more as a faithful pet, the Ghost simply haunting the place. Yet for whatever reason, they were beginning to gather around him now, focusing on him.

"Great master, if your thoughts turn dark, they will make the young master sad, so please, do not think on such questions," the winged Demon spoke, from where he dropped from above to join the rest.

"Yeah, Al's not a social butterfly, but it would really hurt the guy if you stop being the pleasant you," the Nose demon rose up from the ground.

The pleasant you. The other way of saying, 'if you stop being Soma and become Dracula'. But no, it was as he said the first time in the castle. He was tired of the wars, tired of the hate, all Soma wanted to do was sleep. Dracula sought his war on humanity because he wanted to protect the Children of the Night from humanity. But there was something about Arikado that was making that him wish to refocus the intent.


	10. Elmo

Dawn of Sorrow, Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

At birth it was noted that Soma Cruz was an odd person. From his first breath he wailed and screamed, the baby cried no matter what anyone tried to do. His anxious parents wondered if there was a problem, was their first born in some form of pain? Had they done something to prohibit even the infants first few precious hours of life to be pleasant? Had they failed? They begged him as his mother gently bounced him in her arms, in that way that all parents seemed to do. It worked for others, but their little one didn't seem to care. Quickly gathered toys, silly sounds, nothing soothed the baby, until a stranger all in black appeared. He had spoken words that neither parents understood, yet he wore a cross so they assumed that perhaps he was a type of priest. But in that meeting their son stopped crying, from there he became a very quiet child.

Children were wild things really, adults always trying to understand the very things they lost when they grew up. The sense of wonder that a child could and did experience set them off like bouncing balls, from where they were released to whatever grabbed their attention. Some children didn't stop, going from one end of the room to the other, others were cautious of anything new and hung back. Either responses were normal and quite natural, but Soma was a contradiction upon himself. He didn't hang back with his parents, but he didn't run towards anything new or shiny either, instead he strode. Once he selected something to focus his attention on, he turned his direction towards it, he didn't waste energy with senseless flailing towards a goal. He was forever in control.

That calm, self assured, confident demeanor that was decades too soon to be something that a child possessed. Children had a tendency to cry when they looked at him, scared by his calm, cold demeanor, but the grown ups could find no fault in this. Pale features, white hair, with such vivid blue inhumane eyes that did not belong on any childs' face. From the cradle to high school, even now in collage they feared that inhumane gaze.

Bullies on the playground, became bullies because they were taught that the strong always prey upon the weak. Flippant excuses such as 'I know what is best', or 'do as I say not as I do', or even 'I am the parent and you will do as I tell you' did not justify the failing of communication, the restriction of love or warmth, or the maturity to know when and what behavior was proper. No one bullied Soma, not a single boy or even girl. One look from his eyes could cower the biggest bullies, sending them home crying. Even on those very rare occasions, the parents of said bully would be reduced to fear at the sight of Soma Cruz.

A school councilor once asked him, in his professionally compassionate voice, for a reason why Soma looked down on everyone else. It surprised him, he never thought about it, or noticed anyone around him that might feel that way about him. In the honesty of that question, Soma had sat in the oversized chair for a good bit of time pondering that. His reply had caused the councilor to wonder, as well as his parents, about Soma. But for Soma it was a simple answer to a question he couldn't, at the time, explain himself.

"If you feel that I am looking down on you, then I guess I am. I don't know why, I guess you want to be looked down on. But that's kinda strange for a grown up to want to be looked down upon by a kid, right?"

Age eight had been an interesting age with that revelation. Not just because of the councilor's question, the subsequent attempts at making him 'open up', but the fact that by then he had made a friend of his own. Mina was a nice girl, who never seemed to have a problem with the way he looked at her or acted. It may have been odd, that such a young boy's only friend was a girl from a shrine. But this never bothered Soma either.

By the time Soma reached the age that involved hormones and looking at girls, he had a different response to the presence of others. But it was a long night after a trip through the Castle of his Soul that he understood what he had been doing...

_He came home without a word, gathering up a host of old year books from over the years of his youth. He dropped them onto his desk before sliding out of his thick furred coat, as the sun continued setting on the first day after all the insanity of the castle. He flipped open each year book, until he found himself, the school uniforms, the cold looks that always felt so natural to him. So much so that he never felt he stood out or looked odd to the rest of the school system, society, possibly the world if they knew of him. The earliest one he had, showed a small boy with soft snowy hair, and an expression worn of someone who just heard something stupid. They always told children to smile, before they took the pictures. But Soma found the instruction to just 'smile' rather stupid and instead raised an eyebrow in apathy. Second year was better, the photographer explained the purpose of smiling, so he did. It came out with only the slight twist at the corner of his mouth, the slight upturn that indicated he 'was' smiling. But it had a pleasant effect of softening his normally stern visage._

_Both year books were placed side by side so he could see himself at those ages, before looking up at himself. One was a look of annoyance almost, one of gentle admittance to a softer look, but both expressions were grossly out of place in a child. In a normal child at least, because now Soma knew he was far from that idea. Looking up at himself, he stared at the white hair that framed his face, not much different then when he was a child. The pale skin, the vivid blue eyes that stared out at him from the pale frame of his own features. Other children bore open, excited expressions, innocent, they all looked innocent while Soma himself looked like a soul that had already been around. _

_He kept looking for the Vampire Lord that was him in those blue eyes, kept hunting the gold that could over take his vivid blue eyes. Tongue licking against his teeth as they sought out the fangs of a vampire. He tried calling up the Succubus soul, but the moment he did, his reflection vanished from sight, denying him the chance to see his other self. So he was reduced to this, the black turtle neck that wrapped around his upper body, the blue jeans that covered his legs. Simple style he once thought, but coupled with his coat and he saw a modern age vampire lord. _

_He stared at himself for a long time, hands bracing against the mirror in his room. Watching as the shadows played upon his face, from the light on the other side of the room. Assessments made of people over the years began to take a different shape then before. For the innocent mind of a child, it was the unexplained emotional distance of someone who didn't know or care. For the adult..._

It was the predator, the alpha hunter sizing up potential prey. It was that lost understanding that radiated through out his life through his eyes, his posture, his being. He was the hunter surrounded by the milling masses of prey. Even now, as he sat there high above the other humans who came to see the Holy Pope, he hunted. He'd catch himself doing it without thought, sizing up people, their lifestyles, their habits, their movements all in a fraction of an instant he had it. The complete mock up of who each person was, their strengths and weaknesses. The nervous tick, the arrogant smirk, the down cast eyes, and the up turned chin all of it was evaluated since childhood and put into file.

Mina was immune to him though, easy prey, was what he felt, but his instincts did not wish to carry it out. Indeed, shortly after his awakening and his realization he didn't crave anything from this knowledge. Before he sometimes wondered, then shrugged it off as something he would either eventually figure out, or forget about. His forgotten self craved an explanation, which caused his predator behavior to be more pronounced. Now that he knew, the hunger was satisfied and he was left to his own devices.

"_Why did you awaken me? I was happy the way I was!"_

The words were spoken, but meant something else. His dark side had been there the whole time, but only in the back of his mind. The modern world was filtered into his subconscious where his memories rested. The door between the conscious and the subconscious had been firmly shut until he came to the castle. But it wasn't a bad introduction, with each new soul a crack was placed inside the structure of that door.

Soma didn't have time to figure out the details in using his powers, he only had time to understand the basic aspect of 'using' them. Understanding the subtle nuance was shoved in the back of his mind for another time. Shoved in the back where his ancient self slept, hearing the muffled sound of the living world through the door. Each new soul was presented like a small eager child's question to their wise parents. Tapping at the door, crying out to understand this new thing that they had found. Patient, sleepy answers were called back in answer for each new soul, even as every question put a new crack in the door. Like parents on their child's first Christmas the old soul stirred to answer questions, strengthening the child's ability to survive. Until the Castle shattered the door separating them and forced him out of 'bed'.

The focus that was Dracula, the drive that was the Lord of Darkness that had been sleeping was now his defense mechanism. Dracula understood the weird feelings he held inside his head, the pull of the darkness around them. But what Dracula knew didn't automatically mean Soma knew, what should have been awareness became intuitive. Which meant, he couldn't figure out what the problem 'was', just that there was a problem that needed to be dealt with. Because to find out 'what' the problem was, meant surrendering to those dark memories. He wouldn't survive, if Celia showed him anything about himself; he couldn't handle pure dark, negative emotions.

Which was why he was here in the Holy Church of the Vatican, after his classes had ended in Japan. Why he sat above everyone, looking down from the balcony and avoiding the weaker masses as they moved. He wanted to see the Pope, needed someone to talk to and despite being close to Yoko... he didn't think she would be the right choice. Arikado had yet to return to the Sanctuary and when he approached Julius or Yoko previously, they seemed to think he was just 'lonely'. They wouldn't talk to him, instead reassuring him that Arikado would return. They were busy about something, activity found in lack of movement. Busy, just busy.

So he sat there waiting, because roaming alone through out the Vatican felt like something done in poor taste. While true he could travel further into the church then the general public, it still felt rude. Proper decorum and all that, especially after he de-handed that one Cardinal. So he sat there waiting for his escort to arrive, studying the masses as he did so. In the distance he saw a small head of brown hair making it's way towards his balcony and he straightened up in his chair.

"_You will be requiring an escort, if you are to travel through the Vatican unattended by Yoko or I."_

_It bothered Soma sometimes, how easily the Dark One could slide into place in his life. How practical it felt when Arikado would just 'appear' closer then he would have known. More so the fact that he didn't feel angry about it or startled, instead feeling as though it was normal. In the quiet hours before dawn he would realize how normal it felt to have Arikado around. If it was because he was a Dark Child or something else, Soma couldn't tell and he worried holes into the questions. "They're still afraid of me."_

"_Only a fool would not be afraid of who you are and what you represent. That aside I will be lending you my attendant in the church. He's about your mental age and maturity level so I feel this will work well."_

_Soma didn't trust a word out of Arikado's mouth upon the words 'mental age' being spoken. His eyes had narrowed and he had looked about quietly for signs of this 'attendant'. "What's his name?"_

"_Elmo."_

_'How in God's name can he say that with a face so straight that levels look on in envy?' Soma thought before blurting out a cheeky, "can I tickle him?"_

"_Only if you are the same age as him."_

Elmo proved to be, in Soma's words, a baby in Vatican robes. A small child of six years with a soft face that didn't help stop people from wanting to tickle him probably. Just to make him smile and laugh. The boy's hair was dark brown, his eyes a soft shade of green, in essence the opposite of Soma's own childhood in many ways. He was a harmless looking boy, with a set expression as he tried to carry out his duties. Those duties being, escorting the Dark King around the Vatican.

"Hello, Mr. Cruz," Elmo pipped up, as he finished climbing the stairs to reach Soma. "They said you were looking for me?"

"Yes, Elmo, guide me to the Pope, I want to talk to him."

Elmo was prone to stare at him or even Arikado when the instruction to 'take me to the Pope' was given. Probably due to the fact that normally a child so young did not have such freedom to do so. It was clear that the Dark Gentleman and Mr. Cruz could find the Pope with ease on their own if they so wished. Yet the fact that it was intentionally given as a duty to little, helpless him that always amazed him. The Dark Gentleman had picked him out of the choir line up and since then, Elmo ran errands for the stranger, as well as Ms. Yoko, and now Mr. Cruz.

The errands were never hard, fetch quests mainly or to be led around, in fact, stoic and cold as the Dark Gentleman was, he was nice about it. If the request came during choir practice then the Dark Gentleman would simply sit and wait out rehearsal in the main chambers. Their sole audience for their practice until it was time for him to guide the Gentleman.

But that was neither here nor there, now it was time to get Mr. Cruz to the Pope!

"You don't know where he is do you?" Soma asked, a quirk of his lips that softened his aloof expression into something a little more approachable. The tips of Elmo's ears turned red whenever he was embarrassed by something. Usually by being requested something he didn't know off hand. So far, every time Soma had made the request, the tips of those ears went red. He lightly ruffled the child's hair in amusement before moving off letting the boy follow him. That's how it really went, Soma guided the small boy while he looked for the Pope.

Which made it no surprise when people often commented on the white lion that walked with the lamb, as the pair walked through the Vatican.


	11. As I wonder

Dawn of Sorrow, Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: I STILL LIVE! Sorta...

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It was a state of unintentional role reversals when they first met. He, a Cardinal Bishop of the Church, dressed with his sensible, respectable black with red trimmed robes, the regalia of a man who had spent most of his life in the service of the Lord. Walking into the room with a young man, physically decades his junior, the signs of age waiting for him. Yet he sat by the window, not a hair to imply that he either knew or cared that he was about to receive company in the room. Soma was dressed as though he was on a regular outing, unconcerned with being in the Church or meeting a Cardinal Bishop for the first time. He was relaxing in the love seat that rested below a window in the office, the curtain was open allowing him to view the morning light as it brightened the city around them.

The first thing that struck Lodovico was that Soma didn't act like a typical teenager. When he finally opted to look at the Cardinal, Soma gave the look of as though Lodovico had entered 'his' office. The casual glance to observe who had entered, then return back to the outside world. For anyone else, who may not have known about Soma, his behavior would have been the height of rudeness. Indeed the poor priest who was trying to do the introductions was mortified by the way Soma behaved. Even when the poor man got Soma to his feet, Soma never regarding Lodovico as anything more important then another person off the street.

Soma's whole being exuded control and superiority, the aura of a man of great years and knowledge. What was even more intriguing was that the cliff notes version of Soma's history noted that this was his personality since childhood. This wasn't something he inherited when he survived the castle, rather how he naturally was born. Soma had never been written up about being abused, so there was a question mark about what made him behave the way he did. Children did not naturally grow up with the type of reserve that he had. Not for someone who was raised in a family like his, which for all points, was quite normal. Instead he was written up as one who seemed to be playing a role in a play. He was well aware of his behavior and saw no flaw in it, but as to why he played that role? Well, that had been the great mystery of Soma Cruz.

After the regular introductions, Lodovico found a little bit of misdirection to be interesting. Soma was quite willing to admit he was a Spaniard living in Japan, and that his name was 'Soma Cruz'. What he didn't admit was that he was born in Spain to a Japanese father and a Spanish mother, or that 'Soma Cruz' was a merely a foreigner's substitute for his real name. But he never answered the question of what his real name was. After the meeting, when Lodovico discovered the birth name, Jones seemed doomed from the start. Had he known Soma's real name then he would have killed the teen in the first minute of their meeting.

But it was a moot point then, Jones was dead as the castle acknowledged the return of its master and acted accordingly. Soma was a polite young man, when one started talking to him, well mannered and calm as a mountain. They spoke on a few matters as Soma presented a keen insight and impeccable manners. It wasn't until Soma began playing with a letter opener in the office that the Bishop realized that Soma was upset.

In hindsight, that was probably the tip off right then, when Soma picked it up and began focusing more on that then anything else. It was a simple opener, a long dull blade, a single elongated hoop for a handle, made in simple steel. Soma was twisting it like a manual top, without force he turned it around and around, his reflection bouncing back to him from the blade, but also off of a metal candlestick. Though the image was lost to the Bishop, the fact that there 'was' an image at all was not. Rotate once, Soma sat there brooding on some thought, rotate twice, Soma disappeared, rotate again, and again...

"Render therefore unto Cesar the things which be Cesar's, and unto God the things which be God's."

"Luke 20:25, though why such a random quote?"

Soma paused at his remark, his brows furrowed deep in thought when his hand stopped playing with the letter opener.

Soma didn't have a reflection.

In that moment Lodovico saw the panic grow in Soma's eyes as he suddenly flung the opener aside. In an instant he was up, a nervous fear in him as he stalked his way back to the love seat, back into the sunlight. As though he was trying to put a lie to the absence of reflection, the absence of existence. He kept his face towards the ground, studying the shadow his body created as it blocked the sun. Whether it was to see if the shadow moved on its own, or disappeared all together, there was no telling.

That had been the start of it, with Soma now fixated on reinforcing that he was human, while occasionally casting glances at the door. At one point Lodovico noted that when Soma turned his head away from the door, his shadow... didn't as quickly...

In an effort to be perfectly fair, Soma unto himself was an enigma, one who believed himself solved, only to discover a whole new depth. Eventually the shadow stopped looking away from the door, even when Soma returned his focus to the Bishop. But he didn't look at his shadow again, and his focus had been torn between something that the Bishop couldn't see.

Internal distraction later was proven to be Arikado when Soma took off, one moment sitting there poised like a hunting hound strained to be released, then gone. External had been his need to continue appearing human, which got flung out the window when Soma left. Only the trace scent of burning flesh remained, alerting him, reminding him, that Soma was the supreme vampire king. Sunlight still burned his immortal flesh, at least when he allowed himself to be a vampire. Before Lodovico could rise the door had been opened and Soma had disappeared. No words spoken, nor clue what could have caused the sudden reaction that caused this. So in worry, he stood up and left his office rather then wait. After all, a vampire was running through the Vatican.

Crosses were bent, images of Christ burned on the edges, vases and other items that bore the mark of the Lord were tarnished, damaged, or just completely destroyed. Following that path of destruction that brought him to a fork in the hallway. But despite the initial display, of damage the trail eventually died out. If not for the fact that he was in a hallway when it ended, he would not have been able to continue.

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The meeting that followed Soma's attack on D'Arsit raged on through out the night after the Pope arrived. Lodovico decided that Soma had arrived too soon. The reports stated that Soma had been taken to Arikado's sanctuary to recover after the battle, his condition had not been listed. Perhaps he was in a state of recovery still, his spirit exhausted from the battles caused him to be closed off. But if that was the case, this was a poor time to have him at the Vatican undergoing such interviews.

But the damage was done. Soma, or rather Dracula, had lashed out in defense of his child reacting in a way that anyone could empathize when one considered the situation. Though Dracula did not hold back while humans did, or perhaps it was the mindset of a king, far used to doing as he wished with no regard to the commoner. The consequence came in the form of the Sealing Ring, a magical item that was created to suppress the powers of the dark being that wore it. An item that could not be removed save by the power invested by the Pope.

There was a situation now though brewing in the edges of the church, with the news that the cults having merged. Arikado had gone to investigate the news that came from his informants. But since then he had been completely silent, no one having seen or heard from him. Now Soma was becoming agitated, traveling between Japan and the Vatican almost daily. Nameless wanderings, as though he expected to find Arikado hiding somewhere in the church. Granted no one had the permission to tell Soma the truth. That Arikado was investigating the cult in his continued mission to keep Dracula from returning.

But Soma's endless wandering was bringing Lodovico's mind back to that first interview, causing him to look around towards the shadows. Wondering when Soma's shadows would start to acting out on their own. If they could, perhaps the ring would...

Granted he should have been looking over paperwork instead of reminiscing such events that happened in the past. Yet now he had a much different reason to be distracted, that reason appeared in his doorway. Opening the door unannounced, a sudden and rather intense scrutiny that followed, was Soma himself. Soma was focused on the ground, his eyes giving the floor a sweeping that would do a well made vacuum proud. Then just as swiftly he retreated back into the hallway, even as Lodovico called out his name. Another call got the Dark Lord to stick his head back into the room, even as the elder, or was he considered 'younger', man stood up.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Cruz?"

"I lost my Elmo," Soma replied simply. He was beginning to slip back out of the doorway when Lodovico moved towards the door.

This would be as good a time as ever to in getting to know the man. Soma was distracted on something trivial giving Lodovico a passage to talk with. Perhaps he could learn more about the original Soma, or learn 'something'.

"Soma?" He stepped outside his office to find the pale one already halfway down the hallway. Examining rooms as he went on his way, on a leisurely walk through the Vatican, while looking for his Elmo. He called the name again, a little louder with success this time, as Soma turned to face him with an inquisitive look on his face. "What happened to the little one?"

Soma shrugged his answer before walking back towards Lodovico, "no idea, he went to return the tea tray and never came back."

"I see, the little ones have a knack for getting lost in the depths of the Vatican," Lodovico admitted. Soma shrugged, then nodded slightly, joining the bishop quietly.

"He does seem to do that, he has no sense of direction anywhere within the Vatican, which I think is a bit odd," Soma confessed as he moved along, going back in the direction he had been heading before Lodovico had stopped him.

"Well, to be fair, we normally do not permit them to such amounts of access, Mr. Arikado insisted on little Elmo to begin with," he explained to Soma with a faint amused smile. "Since, they tend to get lost, or cause a great deal of mischief."

"Ah I see," Soma's reply was simple, brief and showed his distraction. He didn't exactly speak like he was paying much attention to his surroundings. Again his eyes were focused on anything that might be able to hide a small child.

Lodovico wanted, very badly in fact, to ask about Arikado's upbringing. He was curious about how a vampire with no soul, or heart could find it in himself to fall in love with a woman and father a child. Much less raise one that was such a benevolent force for humanity. But how much did Soma recall on his own, and for that matter was willing to discuss. Clearly he was paternally protective of Arikado, even if he didn't know why. But there was no solid proof that Soma was aware that Arikado was his child.

The notion that Soma was showing such determination to find a small child reinforced this curiosity within him. After all they needed to know how many triggers Soma may have come with. Yet how to approach the topic...

"Soma, are your parents aware of anything that has been going on since the castle?" He watched Soma pause at the question, looking internally for the answer to that.

"No, they're used to my eccentricities and don't bother me about that anymore. I told them I caught the flu before when I was incapacitated at the sanctuary. It's not exactly something that is easily explained after all," he answered calmly.

"You plan to hide this from them forever?" Lodovico asked, curious about Soma's future plans.

"What do you expect me to do? Inform them that their son is the reincarnation of the devil incarnate? No, let them go on thinking that I'm just odd. Better yet, if I can make them forget I exist that would be for the best. Because once they come for me, they'll come for them," Soma explained, incredibly calm for all things considered.

But it was how he 'knew' that 'they' would come for him. No one had told him about the cults had they? Or was this something that Dracula was feeding Soma through the subconscious?

"It's pretty annoying, all I wanted was to sleep and live this human life. If Graham was so obsessed about being Dracula, it would have served him better to let me go. All I wanted was to be released from the castle and get my friends out. He could have gotten what he wanted if he had let me escape, instead he lost the title he wanted and his life."

They had paused in front one of the paintings of the crucifixion, one of several that the church had. Soma gazing up at the image of Christ bound to the cross, thoughts or emotions nothing flickered across his face. The interest of seeing a billboard on the side of the road one would assume.

"What do you think when you see images like this," Lodovico asked, genuinely curious about the answer.

"Scapegoat."

That... wasn't an answer he was expecting...

"That's all he was, he took the sins of humanity upon himself, correct? Yet humanity never stayed on anything that resembled a 'proper' path. That's all I am now, a scapegoat. They want to hold their wars, but so long as I'm the figure head they don't suffer. If I lose, they go back to their happy little holes and hide again. While I suffer an endless loop of history," Soma's bored voice answered that question. Both with incredible insight, and horrific clarity, as he spoke not as Soma, but as Dracula. Speaking as the one who had lived ages and now, given a chance to look over his history book without knowing it in detail, could see all the flaws.

"He had faith in humanity," Lodovico pointed out, patient in tone as he wondered what Soma, or Dracula would think on that.

"Easy to have faith when no one has a direct line to drag you back to see how sick the world can be."

The painting began to burn at the center, where his eyes had focused, causing the Bishop to pull Soma away. Was it because he was using his powers? But that was impossible given the nature of the ring. The blue eyes were tainted with vampiric gold at that moment, inhuman eyes.

Dracula was waking up again.

"Soma? Am I speaking to you?" It was important, if Soma was gone, and with Arikado out of reach, who could contain Dracula on such short notice? Even Soma's expression was a look of confusion, an expression that was not welcoming on a person who was supposed to retain his own humanity.

"I believe we were looking for little Elmo," Lodovico restated gently, looking to guide Soma onto a safer path of thought.

Which gave Soma a visible sign of relief as he nodded, resuming his search for the little boy. A turn down a hallway revealed a pair of small feet sticking out from under a table cloth. Approaching the feet, provided them with a tray bearing a tea set, and the softest sounds of breathing with its source hidden by the cloth. Pulling up the cloth, revealed Elmo, fast asleep under the small decorative table.

An arm resting over his stomach, his whole posture so restful, he looked like an escaped little angel under the table. Save for the fact that it looked like he had started to cry at some point, his eyes showing the signs of dried tears.

"Elmo, wake up," Lodovico called out, not exactly at that age where he could just kneel down as easily as Soma did.

The boy's face scrunched up as he got disturbed from his sleep, eventually a few more calls got his eyes to open up. Small fists rubbed his eyes of his dry tears as he sat up, before he finally bothered to get a better look at the people who woke him up.

"Oh...!" the little boy crawled out to join the adults, climbing to his feet as he did so. "I'm sorry, I got lost... and every hallway looked the same so... so I..."

Soma knelt there, watching Elmo cry for a time, listening to the sobbed out explanation. He didn't really know what to do at times like this. Normally he just didn't care, figuring a parent like figure would take over. He wanted to refrain from touching Elmo with Dracula so close to the surface. But as Dracula observed the meal before him, the tears seemed to bother him... Something in the back of Soma's mind wasn't pleased with the snack idea.

The knowledge was on the tip of his tongue, the feeling in his limbs told him to hold the boy. Before he got scolded for not doing it. So though it was odd to Soma, he did as instructed, pulling the smaller boy into his arms and letting the small one cry against him. Before she came to scold him for letting their little one cry alone. If he performed the act quickly, then Dracula's memories wouldn't filter in, the dark memories wouldn't override his own. Hopefully...

He didn't understand the reasoning, and it felt so odd to have the little one pressed in his arms. But for once Dracula was rather passive despite being aware of the world around him. It had been over a month since Arikado's disappearance and with every passing day, Dracula woke more.

For the Bishop, this proved to be an interesting observational standpoint. Soma was never noted for being a touchy feely type of person, yet here he was willingly holding a child in distress in his arms. The face bore no expression of understanding or sympathy, a puppet that performed an action upon command. Perhaps Dracula recalled a time with his own child and reacted on instinct because of it.

"I've been looking for you Elmo, I'm glad you're safe."

He wasn't sure, and it came out more like he was reading from a script rather then being sincere. Soma sounded awkward and confused, which, if Dracula was controlling him, there should have been more confidence. Shouldn't there?

"I'm sorry Mr. Cruz, I didn't mean to cause trouble," Elmo replied while sniffling, but Soma warmly ruffled the small boy's hair.

"It's not a problem, you don't have to worry about it."

Soma got the tray before he stood up, while Elmo got between the two adults, waiting for someone to show him how to get out of there. Soma was glad to have found Elmo, he didn't want to get in trouble for losing the child. They'd get so annoyed with him, and he didn't want that to happen. So it was for the best that he took Elmo and walked the small boy back to the front of the church. While Lodovico watched them off, Soma seemed more docile around Elmo. The Pope had mentioned that Soma seemed to calm down in Elmo's presence. Speculating that, perhaps, there was something about Elmo that made it harder for Dracula to react violently towards.


	12. Professors and Cops

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix (Currently Cold infested.)

A/N: Seriously, I 'am' trying to write...

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"Professor? Um... Excuse me, Professor LeCarde?" A nervous young woman spoke up as she quietly pushed open the door to teacher's lounge. Black Gothic eye make up, her blond hair up in pigtails with tribal extensions of yarn and charms hung down, an airport security employee's nightmare given form. The black shirt with skull motifs was tight, the striped skirt mid length held down with belts and straps. Hard to believe that such a girl was in a University earning a degree in psychology.

Then again, appearances could always be deceiving, her grades were good, her mind sharp, and underneath all that goth resided a different appearance. Earnest doe like brown eyes, long brown hair that flowed freely down her back, a lithe agile body. Oh and the young woman was a wood nymph hiding amongst humans in broad day light. Normally her classification was of a happy goth, because no matter how much she worked on looking different... she couldn't quite master the mannerisms. Normally she was a wood nymph skipping along with a very nerdy modest girl who was tall and lanky. But she was alone and her nervous state was a bad sign to start with.

"Yes, Willow?" Alex got up and left the lounge to join the young supposed human out in the hallway. Amid the flow of traffic of students and other teachers, but she pulled him away from the door. She began pulling him down the hall away from offices and towards the stairs, seeking something out obviously. Greetings were called out as they moved to him, along with pleas for him to please add another folklore course the coming semester. He sent a rueful smile towards those students as he continued moving along.

It wasn't as though being a vampire hunter paid the bills in the modern world.

Which was why Alexander LeCarde served as a professor of both world folklore and literature. Teaching the myth and fact of the old fabled monsters of the day. Which included a variety of human and non human students, like Willow, as well as day walkers and the occasional night walker when he taught a night class. He was quiet popular because of the folklore class, as it was viewed as a class of escape out of the boring step by step classes. Even as it also taught a bit about psychology, the working of the minds of the people who created these myths.

Willow finally dragged him to an unused class room, with a model of the human body resting at the far corner of said room. A science lab which was a bit ironic and amusing at the same time. But that humor was lost the instant he lowered his eyes to look at Willow. The girl was looking up at him with innocent doe like eyes.

"It's Carolina, she's... heard things through the moon speak," Willow's voice had dropped to a whisper, which was typical. 'Moon Speak' was how werewolves communicated over distance in a manner that didn't use any modern devices. A means during the shift to convey things that should never leave a trace. "Is there a chance you can see her today? She's badly shaken up and I can't get her to open up about the speak. But you're friends with that cop right? Even if he's American, there has to be something the two of you can do to help her. Isn't there?"

He nodded, patting her reassuringly on the shoulder as he did so, "see if you can set up a time for me to meet up with her. My last class ends at 5:45 today, so I can see her afterward."

The girl looked relieved as she left, skipping out of the room quite happy with knowing she had help. Girls, nymphs, like Willow were a growing breed among their kind. She wasn't a wild born nymph with the knowledge of the winds. Her tree was a simple willow resting on the grounds of a local church. More and more elder trees were being felled in the wild, the knowledge they passed down was being slowly taken away. Ages of history that spanned back to the dawn of creation was being lost for more room. While girls like Willow lost out, because a tree grown inside a city was just as likely to be destroyed with more frequency then one outside a city limit.

They were more attracted to the life of humans rather then their woodland ancestral home, and unable to get the teachings of their elders. Simply because they never lived long enough to attain those skills. Nymphs only had so far a range that they could survive from their tree, most Nymphs lived so deeply within city boundaries that they couldn't reach the true wilds. Without those wild grown ancient trees, the words on the wind were lost on the new forests.

Willow's friend was a werewolf, amusing that a dog was a friend to a tree, but there you go. And Carolina had access to the woods, often going camping and been trained by some of the local werewolves. Carolina was a head shorter then Willow, a quiet mouse of a girl in school with russet colored hair. Carolina had been bitten during a trip as a child, but fortunately Sam had come across her and sent word to Alex. Carolina had been young enough that the local werewolves had seen her as a cub and treated her as such.

But she didn't have a rich family and it was only because of her grades that she got the scholarship to the University. There currently wasn't any safe pack of werewolves in the states, they had all integrated into the city life far too well. Sam spent more time dealing with werewolf related gang wars now then he ever felt was reasonable. But that was life after Dracula's departure, how life became after the lull. The Children didn't allow themselves to be pushed into the most remote regions of the world. They hid in the modern world, slipped into the cervices of society and made their homes. Sometimes quietly, sometimes making problems, but as far as he was concerned, better normal crime then a war.

He left the classroom, carrying out his normal routine for the day, classes, student problems, relationships just starting, just ending... Alexis claimed he had a chick magnet charm that brought all the girls to him about their problems. He brushed back chestnut brown colored hair that had slipped past his ear. Alexis had been undercover for a year now, working to get as much information as she could on both cults. Despite being only in one, and had worked her way up to a position to know the basic foundation of the planning stages. Most people only knew these organizations as

Her parents didn't realize that the reason she wanted 'this' particular collage was because of Alex. The LeCarde and Morris clans were spread through out the world keeping tabs on as many of the Dark Children that they could. Though not as big as the Belmont clan, they did what they could in trying to keep the order around the world. Willow and Carolina were only snowflakes on the top of that mountain of work. The Belmonts had worked to spread out for over a hundred years, not so long for the LeCarde or Morris clans. Yet there was still a chance that all their work would end up for nothing, if the Dark Lord returned.

Alex, along with the outer clans had never even seen the reincarnated Dark Lord. Alucard had kept the boy hidden in secret for years, out of sight of both the clans and the church. There had been a question as to why he would willingly allow the world to be put into danger by entrusting the future to the hands of a child. Indeed, Soma was younger then all of them, and with youth came weaknesses and a head strong sense of entitlement to strength they may or may not have yet obtained. With his 'strength' being the strength of a Dark Lord, there was a hovering question over Soma's ability to handle himself. Considering that he had been pushed at one point to rage, even after he had been pulled back it still held the example of what could happen.

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"Freelance police."

"So Max must be there hmm?" Alex rested back into his chair, his eyes scanning the ceiling for the common sense that Sam sometimes seemed to lack.

"Yeah, so what's with the call Lex?"

They were just two words, that's all he needed to say. Two words to explain why he was calling his Texan associate.

"_Carolina isn't here?"_

"_No, it looks like she took off. But where would she go? It doesn't make sense, she was scared out of her mind!" Willow exclaimed, climbing back to her feet after a fruitless search under the bed, in the closet, under tables, desks, the list went on._

"_She's a were, she might have gone to see her pack for comfort," Alex offered as the goth nymph dusted herself off. "I'll go see if the were's will speak to me."_

"_I'm sorry I can't go with you, the forest is beyond the range of my tree. But I can give you something that should help in getting them to talk to you!" Willow offered, as she lifted her hands to her hair. With a quick pair of tugs, she freed her hair from their pig tails, and with some fussing got the hair back to it's more wild willow style. _

_The thing about tree nymphs, that Alex had found over the years, was that when they were showing more of their true nature, how it presented itself. Nothing about her looked like a 'tree', she just looked like an goth girl shaking out her hair. But he could hear the sound of the rustling of the leaves when she did that. Allowing him to hear the sounds around her actual tree, the wind through the branches, the church bells as they sounded. The quiet reminder of how fragile she was, because anyone could decide the kill her tree and thus her. Willow couldn't just move out of the city, she was trapped with her tree inside it, unless someone moved her tree._

_But this wasn't the time for introspection, as a limb of leaves slipped out of her hair, vivid green that should have been glaringly visible from her black hair. Winded and braided onto the slender branch was long strands of brown hair with mixed in brown fur. The nymph extended her hand out, offering it to Alex with trusting eyes. "Here, this is our friendship branch, if you take it with you, the were's will let you speak with them. Since it's proof of my friendship with Carolina," she explained._

_Nothing more needed to be explained, because to take a friendship token from a nymph by force caused said items to rot. You simply did not force the mystical side of mother nature. He accepted the token and slipped it into his jacket before leaving the dorms. For a were to run back to their pack? What had the message transmitted?_

"Did you find her? Is she ok?" Sam voiced the concern from the pair in the States.

"Yes, but the situation isn't good. I haven't been called, but the moon call was that there are Black Masses being created. For whatever reason," Alex explained as he flicked between pages of school lessons.

"_The humans know not what they are doing. Their behavior will enrage the king. We've heard the cries of our distant brothers and sisters. Innocent pups are being stolen and sacrificed near the island where the King rests his head. Our winged cousins are taking off from the lands, the scaled cousins are going into hiding. LeCarde, you and yours have slain the king before, but you will have no hope this time. His power exceeds the limits of your champion now. If the king takes on one of those souls, just one human soul into his grasp. You and your kind will die."_

"Whatever reason is probably to draw out Dracula. Historically a Black Mass was only used to prematurely summon Dracula." Sam noted, the faint sound of a chair creaking indicating that the speaker was sitting down next to the speaker phone.

"But Dracula is here, isn't that what has already been confirmed? Why use a rite to summon what already exists?" Max asked from that side of the ocean.

"This may be a final test to prove whether or not Dracula 'has' returned. The Black Mass 'should' work if Dracula isn't here, failure may be proof that Dracula has revived on his own. It may be the final confirmation that Graham's cult might need before they settle into merging with Fortner's cult." Sam worried the idea out for them all to hear.

"We need you guys to come here, if that's the case Julius and Yoko are going to need serious back up. I don't know how the Black Mass will affect Dracula, with the Prince currently out of range for him to communicate. From what I gathered from the meeting, Dracula relies heavily on the Prince for his knowledge about his power," Alex explained as his selection on the screen was sent to the printer.

"So we're set up to meet you when?" Max asked.

"Not just 'when' but 'where'. Turns out that Dracula is located in Japan, so we'll be meeting up there," Alex corrected.

"Well, that makes sense, great grandmother Charlotte 'did' go to Japan. Would make sense that if Dracula was going to return, he'd do it near the access to his castle."

"Well, just to let you know, turns out that Dracula is a barely legal kid."

There was a long silence as the pair tried to process that thought then in the best imitation of a genie, "Limitless dark power, tiny baby wielding it."


	13. Do you hate your father

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Dusk of Hope

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta:

"_Do you hate your father? I know it's impolite of me to ask, but... I realize I'm asking a lot of you. However; I can't ask someone who is undecided to enter into a battle like this. That and the fact that this would be patricide..." _

Five hundred and sixty one years ago. Give or take.

It had been over forty generations of humans born, lived, then dying since he had been asked that question.

Trevor was a solid built man. He hadn't live the life of lords or kings, rather he was, for all intents and purposes, just a woodsman. The muscles he had developed came from cutting trees for his home and hearth, not from hunting the Children of the Night. Which made his presence in the castle all the more peculiar. Alucard expected men of the church, well armored and spouting biblical verses left and right. He expected those types of people, actually bore witness to the few dozen or so that came to the master chambers of his father and were slain like lambs. Not to say anything about the few hundred more that never even 'made' it to his father's throne room.

Oh he had watched the pirate that came for his father, the one that Trevor had freed and now traveled along with as well. But it hadn't been all that long ago that he had watched his mother burned at the stake. Fountains of blood were nothing to the slow roasting of the flesh from the woman who gave you life. Who loved you despite your duel nature and who died for a race of foolish humans. If not for his mother's final words he would probably have been above with his father, slaying the humans.

As it was, he couldn't eat any human food anymore, not when the smell of the cooked meat brought to mind his mother's body. When most foods that he could stomach were just peasant food, far too lowly for one of his birth status, it left him with nothing, but blood. Only those few times he had tried to drink from the human prey brought to mind his mother's final words, whispered in the back of his mind. He couldn't eat, his sleep was disrupted, and his strength was waning as he wasted away.

His father wasn't letting up or slowing down, his wrath extended beyond that one stupid village, consuming the countryside and beyond. They didn't speak of his mother; Alucard lacked the strength to force the words that would acknowledge his mother's passing, and his father was too furious to talk about her.

But here now was this hunter who was doing a rather impressive job considering his sudden change in jobs. Then there was that whip, a curious weapon if Alucard had ever seen one. Monster after monster slain by a 'whip'? Not a sword, nor holy word rather a whip of some strange, unspoken origin? What type of weapon was this, that it could slay anything placed before it? Surely there were monsters weak to suck types of attacks, but to say 'all' of them? Perhaps though, with such a weapon, were his father to be defeated, Alucard could finally relay his mother's message?

He had to know how the bite of that whip worked on the flesh of a vampire, know if it and the wielder were enough to overcome his father. Which was why he had challenged the human, and if the human didn't survive the battle, well that was proof enough to Alucard. Which was why he now walked along three humans, two males and a female through the castle in an effort to reach his father. True for Alucard, he simply needed to walk from his room to his fathers'. Not so for the three humans with him, and the defenses of the castle were up in order to defend the lord of the castle from harm.

The woman was an oddity, lowering her voice and speaking few words, Alucard could tell just from the scent that this was a woman. But why did she not confess her gender to the others? Did she not trust them? Did she fear they would rape her if they knew her gender? Or did she worry about his father's servants? Perhaps she feared both, not that Alucard could have argued against it, it was not raised in him to treat a lady harm. But by opting to fight she revoked the right to be classed as a 'lady' and the others were bound to take after the chance to harm her.

Then there was the little pirate that came to face his father, Trevor had freed the little man as well. So there had to be something about Trevor, after all, why would a human accept failed warriors, witches on the leash of clergy or the Vampire Prince himself? There was more to him then the self stylized vision of righteousness that came with Knights from the church. This was a hunter seeking to kill the King of Vampires, the Lord of the Children of the Night, and yet he aligned himself with pirates and witches, the Prince himself. Did he honestly have such faith in their sense of duty that they would not turn on him?

He never answered the question directly, just reaffirmed his commitment to defeating his father. Knowing that when the battle was over he would go to sleep, there was no way that he could live with himself for his sins. That and there was nothing left for him once his father was gone, what with being a half blood. His life span would outstrip any human woman, and any vampire would want to convert him into being fully vampire. Perhaps it was some sense of rebellious pride that made him want to stay a half blood for the rest of his life. Refusing to give up his mother's human blood in his veins, no matter how much strength had been denied him because of its frailty.

Did he hate his father? No, on the contrary he loved his father dearly and regretted the paths their lives took. But hate was a human creation, an emotion created by humans and no matter how superior his father thought vampires or the Children were, they were only human themselves. If not for his mothers' final words, there was no doubt in Alucard's mind that he would have joined his father in his war.

He had defended humanity on his mother's say so for ages, and yet it seemed like the fickle hand of fate had given him this situation. His now clueless father. The cults were starting to circle Japan, they knew he was there and they would soon start interrupting his life if Alucard didn't do something about them. Had Soma not attacked the Cardinal, the situation could have been resolved in other methods. Soma certainly had enough power to protect himself, there was no reason for the cloak and dagger games. But now he had all his powers leashed within, there was no way for him to defend himself with a lone sword against the cult.

Though the fact that Soma 'still' had his powers was a different worry all together. After all, when the Castle acknowledged Soma, the souls were released when Soma left it. Alucard had assumed it was a natural occurrence done when the supernatural threats to his life had ebbed away. Now he wasn't so sure, as Soma's powers had yet to ebb away. Fortner had targeted Soma around Graham's time, though in the beginning her 'aim' was just the nebulous presence of Count Dracula. Something was wrong, he could see that clearly.

But the turn of his thoughts were strange, out of sequence and disorienting in their own way, as he switched from questions posed ages ago to modern situations. What was the connection, between hating his father, and Soma's powers? Hate was no more then the mirror reflection of love, not the opposite as people often thought. For hate and love were still intense emotions directed at targets, either to destroy or build up stronger and protect. Apathy was the true opposite of hate and love, for then no one cared what the end result was. Did he hate his father enough to see him destroyed? No. He didn't hate his father, he did what did because he wanted to protect his mother's wishes. After all his mother wasn't the only kind human, though it took a century for Alucard to accept that on his own.

The power of dominance, the power to rule over all the Children of the Night. No matter how Alucard may have felt about that power, the truth was ever there. He was just as much a slave to his fathers' power as the next monster. Monsters served Dracula out of fear and respect, not love. Yet Alucard fought against his father out of respect and love, so what was the defining difference between the pair?

Perhaps Julius had spoke to him the answer to that question, when he confronted Soma back in the Castle. When Soma extracted the promise of death from Julius. Soma wished to die, should he return to being the monster he had been. He knew by then, who and what he was and done, and that knowledge bothered him enough to extract that promise out of Julius. Soma was the reincarnation of Count Dracula, with enough power to overcome the world and fulfill his threat of the extermination of humanity. Instead he wished merely to escape that anger and hatred.

Was it possible? Could somehow, deep down inside, the ability to resist the power of his father had not been because he was the son of Dracula? Could it have been that he wasn't resisting at all, rather he was helping his father? Was Soma a presence that had always existed and sought to be liberated from that rage and used Alucard to do it?

Alucard stood up from his chair annoyed at how he was twisting himself into knots. The more he thought on Soma and the issues that the boy evoked the more he questioned himself. Could he even follow through with his promise to the Belmont Clan? How could he be of any use to the other Clans if he stayed his hand from taking his fathers' life if Soma lost himself?

Then again he already stayed his hand once, now hadn't he?

Awake with his father active in the world, he could feel as another Black Mass began. The pull of an innocent soul released into the world, the anger at the premeditated death tainting it with anger. Just another soul to serve in his father's castle. Just another howling voice trying to get a corpse, so old it wasn't even dust anymore, to wake up. It would fail, they all had but still..

"_Say, Alucard do you sparkle?"_

"_Yoko, if you are trying to even hint that I may be like 'that'. I will hereby break 'all' ties with all the hunter clans, join my father, and make 'you' my first prey." This was why he allowed the video games in his sanctuary, the moment Yoko got bored she found him._

"_Well, I think a bucket of water mixed glitter could make it happen," Yoko replied, her little pink lips set in a straight line. Pretty impressive for a soon to be tender ten year aged meat meal._

"_And why in the name of all the Saints, Angels and God himself, would you want me to 'sparkle'? Though I'm sure that I'm going to regret asking this." He had settled himself against his seat and was staring down at Yoko with a gaze that would send demons cowering from his father. Damn the vampire why couldn't it work for Alucard? Yoko didn't look scared, just determined._

"_It's for my new book!" She turned the sheet of paper in her hands around so he could see it. _

_Which was a crayon scrawled sheet of black paper with the picture of a stubby hand, an orange, and the title: Twilight: When shit got serious._

_Which left Alucard with an interesting moment as he realized that had he known about the modern world back then, and was given this joke? He would have died laughing. As it was, he merely shooed the girl back to whatever mischief she was getting into. _

Better the destruction of the human race, then a race of sparkling Vampires.


	14. Chess Board Kings

Aria of the Ascending Soul

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

The room was made mostly of stone, stone floors, stone walls, the ceiling was made of the sturdy oak wood, but the surroundings were made of stone. It normally served as a work out room or training room, but for tonight it served slightly different purpose. The floor and walls were cold to the touch, since there was no sun to share its warmth with. Even artificial light was not used in the room, Arikado opted for torch light and candles mostly. But then again the Castle didn't use electricity either if the eyes could only focus under florescent lighting they would be weak in the Castle. Weakness in the Castle was a death sentence.

Tonight, Soma was going to use it for a different purpose. All along the floors rested candle holders of all kinds, each cradling a candle for its own. Yet, despite all these candles, not a single one was lit. He didn't need them lit, nor did he need light for what he was looking to do. Arikado didn't have the time to teach him about 'this' kind of stuff before he was forced to depart. Rather tonight Soma was going to take on another teacher, an older teacher, a wiser teacher.

Alchemy, the oldest form of science, long before the discovery of hydrogen and oxygen, before the ability to pierce the smallest grain of sand. The secret, forbidden knowledge that didn't need the power of souls to use. If the Church was going to deny him his souls, then he would use the 'other' talents at his disposal. But he wasn't a fool, and going beyond his current levels would be a fools mistake.

He'd bring out his new/old teacher. Experience was the best teacher in the world, and Soma carried over 900 years of it. If no one was going to explain anything to him, if Arikado was going to be missing for who knew how long, he would learn again from those experiences. Dracula had a beginning, a humanity that existed before the monster. He just had to find the memories of those days, find the person he was, before the vampire took over.

Meditation he knew, one couldn't be friends with a priestess in training without learning about it. Meditation and cleansing, two of the most tedious forms of study that he had ever endured while at the shrine. He wasn't great on blind meditation, unable to grasp the concept until Mina's father had told him about 'guided' meditation.

"_Not all people are suited for the empty thought style of meditation Cruz-san. For those there is something called 'guided meditation'. Where the soul places an actual scene before the person to view. You don't control what your mind presents, you just let it go where it wants you to. You can explore where your thoughts take you to your hearts content."_

"_What makes it any different than day dreaming? And why is it considered 'guided'?"_

"_Guided meditation is often used in groups, each experience is unique even as the group takes the 'trip'. It's used for helping a person resolve issues and is a loosely planned out trip. A session may begin with a group being told they see a bridge in the distance and beyond that the issue they need to address is located. But a bridge can be any size, any shape or design, so for the group they know they need to 'find' the bridge, but how the bridge takes shape is left to their own inner selves. But a person can also take such a trip on their own, if they are practiced enough to let what needs to speak with them come forth on their own. Which is why it is different from day dreaming. When you day dream you plan out every nuance of the scenario, in guided meditation you're just as much a third party viewing a scene as its creator."_

Soma needed to find those memories, the cliff note version of his memories wasn't going to cut it. He couldn't risk asking Yoko or Julius, he was sure they would be against him trying to touch those memories. And why wouldn't they? When it was possible that Dracula would assume complete control over Soma?

But to say 'Dracula' would take control of 'Soma' was a bit of a false representation of the truth. Because in truth there was no difference. Treating his past and present like they belonged to two separate entities was dangerous. A tree split in two was doomed to die, Soma needed to see his past, accept it, move on from it. But if eyes were the windows of the soul and those windows cast their gaze into the Abyss, what would stare back? How would Soma manage after he saw the centuries of devastation that he inflicted?

Well the sarcastic side of himself was quick to point out that with the use of the internet 'anyone' could see any level of hell. Sure, the senseless slaughter of hundreds or thousands was terrible, but if he wanted to brace himself for impact he just needed the net. War zones were plentiful and after hours of viewing the uncensored news, there was nothing really virginal about the human soul. He just had to take the extra step and accept that he was one of the monsters that modern journalists wrote about. There was a strange form of comfort in knowing that, even without portals to hell, humans could be just as bad as him.

He wouldn't have the benefit of a teacher or a guide in the living world to guide him. But he knew that the forgotten side of himself would serve just as well. As such Soma stripped himself of his coat, his body temperature was possibly going to drop. The candles would be of use to generate the heat he might find himself needing if his understanding of meditation was near or on the mark. But he didn't need their light as a distraction. Soma was a being of darkness, the light was not going to be exactly welcome. Soma settled himself down in the center of the room, folding his long legs and settling into the 'lotus' posture. Refraining from laying straight on the ground since he would just as likely fall asleep as run into his memories. Blowing out the candle he had used to enter the room, he set the candle holder down in front of him. Letting his mind be soothed by the scent of smoking candle wick as he closed his eyes and began to slow his breathing down, trying to keep a simple, smooth, slower rhythm.

The world was as black behind his eyelids as it was in the darken work out room. But over time he saw them, eyes of various colors staring out at him. Red, glowing black, yellow, silver, blue, brown, purple, green, all the colors of a demonic rainbow on display for him. They circled him endlessly, their shapes lost to the darkness around him. But he could feel them on a primal level, stalking on two feet or four, flapping wings or slithering on the ground he knew them all. On that same primal level he began to see them, without light.

Suits of armor, demons, werewolves, werecats, bats, monsters of the deep, fire demons that illuminated nothing. Demons and monsters he had slain in his trip through the castles, waiting for him to call them to him. Perhaps to the uninitiated their presences alone was a disturbing sight that would send a person screaming back into their own body. But this was what he wanted, the first rings of protection he knew of. He didn't move his physical head, nor any part of his body, letting the monsters stalk around him in a protective circle.

"The Ring."

"We hate the ring."

"Get it off."

"Take it off Master."

"We can't help you with it on."

Multiple voices hissed and growled, about the ring. They knew because he knew that the ring was blocking his ability to call upon their powers. They knew and they were not happy about it in the slightest. But they were here and it was a comfort that he could see them, although they weren't what he was seeking. In his mind he pictured his ability to stand up, rising up to stand among his monsters. It was always difficult to start learning this process. Convincing the mind that the body was moving while in reality it didn't. The full sensation of movement in the mind, the way the hand would feel as it gripped the knee to help push himself up. The way his body felt as it moved sliding from sitting to standing. Everything had to be performed in the mind, it was a tedious process, but one he had practiced ages ago allowing for him to take less time then someone else.

He could see the room exactly as he left it, going so far as to turn around and see himself sitting on the floor in a darken room. Yet in his current state there was no true 'darkness' for him to be blinded by. Indeed it was a great deal like when he used the ghost's soul back when he was in his own castle. But he wouldn't be limited to just a small distance, this was something that didn't need a soul to perform the task. The Ghost had given him a clue on how this was done, but now to do it on his own unaided.

The room was full of his demons, their eyes locked on him or his body, watching over him from a distance. But they parted like the sea as he turned towards the door of the room. The metaphorical journey was about to begin. He had to keep his mind blank, let the destination shape itself, because Dracula 'would' design their meeting spot. Don't control it, the soul would do it for him, he just had to let what happen, happen.

So when he walked to the door and allowed it to open under his own will, the empty space before him didn't surprise him. There was no land mass, or bridge, to guide him to where he needed to be. No, he would have to take a leap of faith, plunge into the darkness of his own soul and see what lay at the bottom. But he had already walked into Chaos, the primal beginnings itself. This? This was nothing.

The darkness was deep and visceral, he floated within it, he was drowning in darkness fighting to keep the air in his lungs. But this was meditation he knew he wasn't 'in' water, so he struggled against the nature of afterbirth. Babies in the womb did not hold their breaths, they breathed in the liquid until they were born and forced to accept the air. Breathing it in and out, that was going to be the first step, breathing in this liquid without fear. Some part of his mind tried to remind him what this liquid was, because it was far too thick to be water.

No, if this was his darker self then he knew what he was floating inside of and the 'reality' of that was enough to make him frown. Not in annoyance or displeasure but at the sheer immaturity of the whole idea. "You know I'm here, we can disperse of the game don't you think?"

A voice that wasn't lost to the liquid he was floating in, like sonar to the ears of the side of himself that was here. Then just as suddenly as it began, the blood sea was gone, washed away in a wave of nothingness to be replaced by an ornate throne room. A single long piece of ruby red carpet laid upon the ground towards a matching pair of steps. A mirror throne room, twin dais that rose up to twin thrones of plain gray standing tall above his head. There was no doorway into the room or out, nor windows to be seen anywhere. The walls were made of newly washed stone, with banners hanging from a ceiling so high he couldn't see what tied the fabric into staying in the air. Maybe nothing, maybe it just hung there because it was supposed to.

Candles floated all along the air creating a sea of golden light that illuminated the room for him to see by. Yet nothing held those candles, there would probably be no spilled wax from them either. He walked up the steps of the dais, towards one empty throne nothing the absolute stillness of the throne room. The banners were still and the little golden flames on each candle was also absolutely still. But the carpet sank down like normal plush carpeting should, while a chill air gently touched his cheeks despite all the candles about him.

He didn't need to look down, he knew he was still wearing his jeans and turtleneck, hell he knew his long white coat was still hanging off his shoulders like he normally wore it. When he wasn't killing things with a sword or souls that is. Yet despite the layers of clothes, he still felt cold. But the room was changing even as he walked. Each step up turned the throne above him ever blacker, it molded itself to something with smooth curves and an ebony finish. Skulls at the edge of the armrests so that he could rest his hands upon them. The seat cushion and the backrest looked thick and comfortable, something suitable for a long talk, pure white in color it contrasted beautifully with the ebony throne; ebony and ivory.

"Well if this is the only way we're going to 'talk'," Soma noted aloud as he reached the throne. He couldn't stand at the bottom of the dais, it would reflect that he was inferior to the side of him he was trying to reach. Which would be a disaster for everyone involved; Soma was going to have to be seen as an equal.

Across from him, the twin throne had turned painfully white, so white that it seemed to defy the golden glow of the candles and retain its sharp color. So sharp that it cut through the shadows leaving it utterly shapeless save for its outer most line, with an inner whorl of darkest black for a back rest that dripped down into becoming the seat. As Soma sat, so sat his other, as reclined and indifferent about the world around him as though he had been called in to discuss a topic of only minor importance.

"Well, you're probably wondering why I called you here today," Soma quipped lightly with a faint shrug.

"I suppose it has something to do with an enormous amount of boredom, and the increasing dissatisfaction with the supposed 'teaching'."

Soma settled into his own seat, an incredibly comfortable one considering the style and form it had taken. Directly across from him, Dracula looked about as interested as a guy forced to see a musical production. Well, for the both of them, it was going to be more like a romantic musical production. Simply on the grounds that they were being dragged into this situation and knew that by the end, they were going to have to hear about it in some fashion or another.

Yoko and Julius, not to mention Arikado would have enough words to express their displeasure to fill an encyclopedia. Blood red eyes narrowed onto Soma as Dracula frowned at some inner thought that they shared.

"I never got to experience a 'musical production', nor anything else of entertainment value in this new age," Dracula noted in a bored tone. "The last time I was awake, the world had been ripe with war, from one equator to the other and everything in between."

"Why? Why do we keep returning to this world? What's in it for us to keep fighting the same battle over and over again? Take away the constant defeats, there's no justification for it," Soma asked, a very important starting question one would think.

"The same battle is it?" Dracula raised a snow white eyebrow at that, before shrugging his black clad shoulders. "Why do you think it's the 'same', its never the exact same. Different forms of warfare have their uses to, its interesting to see how man has progressed on their path to self annihilation. A hundred years slumber, and I, rather 'we', see how far man has gone in his hate, his greed, and his need to destroy."

Soma blinked at that, picking up that Dracula was adjusting his style of talking to match Soma, acknowledging Soma as a part of himself. He shook his snow white haired head slowly, not confident on the point that Dracula was trying to make.

"Oh? I suppose you want to believe in the 'balance' concept these easterners have, 'Ying and Yang' I believe?" He stretched his long legs out, the light absorbed by the very black sheen of his pants and reflecting off his dress shoes. Even his long black coat didn't reflect any light as it spilled down behind his legs onto the red, red carpet. His voice was a Latin purr of contempt to balance Soma's slide from Japanese to Spanish. Three different languages, eventually they would talk on the same true level, but until then.

"I wouldn't be your reincarnation if I were 'that' blind a fool. We both know that the core of much of humanities' false 'generosity' is in a deep seated fear." Soma could see the smirk revealing a sharp fang, the gleam of victory in the eye of his other self. "When the only thing stopping people from senseless murder and out right acts of cruelty and greed is fear of eternal damnation, then there is no point in arguing that humanity has a true sense of compassion. For the most part."

The fang disappeared and the eyes hardened against Soma in annoyance. "'For the most part'? In other words you believe there is a glimmer of true compassion in these useless sacks of blood and meat?" Dracula stood up at that, the coat floating about him at the swift motion the same as Soma's always did. "Just because you believe the sky is purple doesn't make it so. Just because you believe that the Earth is the center of the universe, it doesn't make it so. Every one hundred years We return to this world to start the war again to see how far the race has progressed in its quest for self destruction. But do you think that we have not risen at any other times, but then? Have you forgotten the Black Mass?"

Dracula was rather impressive standing there, pitch black business suits on the level that Arikado would wear. A pristine white shirt, pressed to perfection and a ruby red cummerbund around his waist. But for all that royal dress up, Soma felt as though the black was meant to absorb the light Dracula himself could no longer find inside.

"No, I don't know what a 'Black Mass' is. That is why we are here, to learn, so that I can read the signs as they present themselves to us. Further more, you're wrong, the sky 'is' purple, at dawn and dusk. Not for long, but it happens, just as true compassion does materialize in the world from time to time." Soma didn't stand up, nor allow himself the chance to show fear or intimidation. It wasn't safe, Dracula was still a threat to himself, after all.

But his points earned him some measure of respect it would have seemed, Dracula's eyes took on a speculative expression. Perhaps he was rethinking what he rated his incarnations' intelligence at. Then he smoothly settled back down into his throne, any anger or annoyance fading as quickly as smoke on an autumn wind. "A Black Mass is when those who serve us, slay a virgin female over our corpse so that we may rise again. In short."

"... Ok so this is going to sound very off base and incredibly stupid of me to ask, but why a 'virgin female'?" Soma asked, he had hoped that the whole 'virgin sacrifice' was just a lot of hocus pocus. But to think there was a 'purpose'?

"Why? Planning to ensure that friend of yours is taken off the list of prospects post haste?" Dracula asked, his eyes a golden hue of amusement as Soma shot him a look that could kill with speed and accuracy better then Vampire Killer. "Oh I see, 'I' am not allowed to have a sense of humor. Humph well. The reason is in the older religions that most people forget or ignore. The Modern churches denounce the fact that God at one time was a pair. That he had a Wife... Oh come now, how could a supposedly purely male entity create women? You'd have a time trying to find the old books that touch on the subjects. It's not our fault that they're so sheepish that they forget the line about creating man and woman in the image of God. Had to work with something, God isn't a trans... a trans verse? Trans tight?"

Soma had to stare for a moment in pure unabashed amazement as he listened to what was apparently Dracula's attempt to remember the word 'transvestite'. "I think the word you are looking for is 'transvestite' and back on subject about the whole 'virgin female'?" No one would ever believe this conversation ever happened. Not in a million years.

"Yes, that one, God isn't one. You get bored and start listening to witches and you get a great deal of insight to other religions. That aside, there was a school of thought that women who had yet lain with a man had a greater deal of power then one who had. This coming from the pent up sexual energy that needs to find a release. Until they had been with a man."

"Ok, so they have a lot of power, why kill them?" Soma asked, abrupt as this lesson was, he found himself curious about the matter. Another thing no one would ever believe him about. Dracula apparently spent 900 years becoming an incredibly open minded sadist.

"They become a cauldron of power, their wombs hold within it the power of life itself, for it is from the womb that a baby is born from. The Black Mass, takes the raw pent up energy, focuses it upon the time of the virgin's death and channels it through that womb, unto us and revives us with that energy." Dracula explained, his eyes calm, calculating as he watched Soma.

"But we're alive again, so that won't be happening anytime soon," Soma replied with certainty only to see Dracula shake his head. "What? Why do it? Graham and Celia are both dead, why try for a Black Mass? We're here."

"Silly, still a child I see," Dracula mused, his smooth features sliding into a near sympathetic expression. "Do you think that they readily accept 'us' as having returned? Even now? What do you see sitting across from yourself?"

"I see me, you look exactly like me save for the eye colors, the fangs and clothes..." Soma replied, because it was the truth. No ancient vampire sat before him, the white hair was his style and cut, the eyes were the shape of a mixed blooded Japanese/Spanish mix youth. Soma never had a set idea what his past would look like, so his expectations had been rather limited. So Dracula's question was rather odd to him.

"Exactly, through out history we have ever been an older gentleman, or at least a full adult in his mid twenties. Not everyone is going to fall over and believe that we, looking thus, are who we deny yet accept ourselves to be. So they use the Black Mass, over and over again. They are but trying to see if a 'real', as what would fit their ideal, Dracula arises. Eventually, soon we suspect, they'll accept the truth for what it is. Then the fun will begin in earnest."

"What? You mean these Masses have already been taking place? Why did I miss it?" Soma asked standing up in alarm. But Dracula waved him back to his seat with a careless gesture.

"Ask your 'guardian', he has been pulling those who would come to us towards him and dealing with them himself. But maybe one day you'll meet them. All who die under a killers' hand go to the Castle... What? Where else do you think I get our army? Humanity itself is a wonderful supplier to our needs."

"I... should go... it's probably getting late, even for me," Soma finally replied. His eyes were shadowed with doubts and thoughts while Dracula waved him away.

As he watched himself dissolve from his feet up into a cloud of black bats he heard his voice speaking. "Come back sometime, I'll guide you to the very beginning, you can use alchemy to make up for the lack of your other abilities then."

The thrones and walls turned into sand, sliding away from him, the threads of the banners, and carpet into so much string. Leaving Soma sitting in a room, legs crossed eyes shut and darkness all around him. Only to have it lit by a sudden gentle gold hue just beyond his limbs. Quiet, the room was quiet except the soft 'woosh' from when the candles lit themselves. Soma opened his eyes to a room filled with the gentle golden light of ever candle lit and still in the room.

But something was wrong, proper meditation should have left him relaxed, comfortable if a bit chilled. Only he wasn't, his whole body was tense about something, something that was dancing on the edges of his understanding. He decided to send the servants to tend to the candles, but now that he knew what to look for he was going to check the internet. He wasn't sure if he could find what he was looking for. No one was crass enough to post if a person was a virgin or not when they were murdered. But Dracula had said that the murders were still happening.

He grabbed his coat and pulled it on to try and rewarm his body more quickly as he quickly strode to the door.

"Avenge me. Kill them. Kill them all."


	15. Black Mass

_Lily spent the night dancing and celebrating her Sweet Sixteen birthday party in a pleasant dance hall. The color theme had been black, red and pinks, with the red to symbolize her growing up. Her dress had been been sleek, yet not form fitting, black with wine red details and a maroon sash wrapped around her hips. She spent the night surrounded by her family and friends, even Marshall the cute guy that she had been eying had accepted the invitation and came to the party. She and her friends danced under the stars when her dad had pulled her away with the promise of another birthday present. _

_Laughing, she had waved to her friends that she would be back as she climbed into her dad's car. The car sped through the night close to the beach below the dance hall. But as they were pulled away she caught a glimpse of Marshall standing in the doorway, too close to one of her friends. It soured her mood immensely and she stayed quiet through out the drive. _

_Her dad tried to get her to talk, he was a lawyer after all, but she remained tight lipped. Instead she focused on the outside world, where the nearby beach was drawing closer to her. The moon was large and full, it gave the ocean a deep royal blue sheen with silver waves. What was normally a black dark stretch of land was given definition as a dark blue beach with a parking lot further ahead. _

"_What do you think of your new car Princess?" her dad had asked, as they approached. In the distance there was a red corvette with a laughably big bow on the top. His voice had been anxious, he had hoped to be laughing and enjoying this ride with his daughter. But Lily had said nothing save fuming over that scene in her head. With the realization that her dad had bought her a new car the memory was paused as she took in the sleek lines of 'her' new car. _

"_Oh..."_

_She never got the chance to tell her daddy that she loved the car._

_She had turned her head, her eyes filled with renewed excitement when the windshield shattered. Horrified she watched her dad's head snap back with all expression disappearing from his face. As his head bounced back from the head rest, his foot made one jerk movement slamming into the gas and propelling them further even faster. Lily's own head whip lashed into the head rest only to snap forward and back again as her dad's car hit the new corvette. _

"_Daddy? Daddy! Daddy, no!" _

_Every teenager thought themselves tough and able to handle any threat. Television, music and movies gave a wide array of violence for people to viscerally live through. Video games allowed even further access to the realm of self insert violence, first person genre and all. So logically, from a third person stand point, Lily should have grabbed her phone, called 9-1-1 and got help. Instead she could only stare glassy eyed and frozen at the corvette that was currently flashing lights and honking at the damage it took._

"_Daddy?" She murmured as the moment her dad was shot continued playing in her minds eye. It was her sweet sixteen birthday party, a gateway to a blueprint that her dad had told her time and again. She was going to have the good grades, the good school, job, marriage, everything was planned out with picture perfect clarity. After all this was the modern age, the age of science and knowledge, where almost everything had an explanation; everything terrible could be avoided._

_She began sobbing as she clung to her father's arm ignoring the sounds of help as people rushed to the car. The shattering of glass all about her until someone yanked her back by her hair causing her to cry out in pain. A cloth was shoved over her face and the world went black from that point forward._

Lily died being stabbed by priests performing a Black Mass ritual. He could see in his mind the ritual, the preparations for the coffin that she would be rested upon. For once committed to the Black Mass, the Castle would teleport the remains of Count Dracula inside the coffin for the ritual. She was drugged, awake and unable to respond to the world outside, stripped naked, checked out to ensure that she was truly a virgin then laid upon the coffin. They would have draped a single white sheet over her body to ensure that her blood was not wasted. A pure white cloth for pure virgin blood, while she was surrounded by robed and hooded priests ready for the return of their lord and master.

If not for the situation Soma would have burst out laughing.

His old body had been destroyed, Soma was a still living reincarnation, thus the Castle had nothing it could send to the Mass. They would open the coffin and see that nothing was accomplished save another wasted death. Another innocent life taken away and they would either start over again, or maybe try something else. Celia did after all.

"Avenge me! I didn't deserve this!" Lily demanded as she hovered before him. Naked, but for the blood that spilled when she died, taking on an iridescent glow that helped illuminate her spirit further.

"No, an innocent soul should be free of such cruelty. But I will not restart the war because of this." He could see her shock, the dismay as she hovered over the ground a good foot above his head. Then her hair went wild as the outrage kicked in, what was once nice and smooth ebony hair became a rolling wave as though she was underwater. Perhaps she was, water was connected with emotions and her emotions were suddenly spiking.

"I had my whole life ahead of me! They took it away from me! Not just me, but all the other girls as well, all for the sake of finding and bringing you back! You owe us! You owe us for what we endured! Our lives are over, we're never going to get back what we lost and it's all your fault!" She cried out in anger and he could only shake his head.

"Not just me. People are not murdered simply to bring me back. Welcome to the age of information, do you think I don't know about the world itself. Countless die every day for lack of food, or shelter, they're ruthlessly murdered for their religious views or simply for the color of their skin, or the gender they were born. You are 'nothing' greater then any of them. If I am to call forth the Hounds of War once more. If I'm to rekindle my war against humanity, girls like you will die by the thousands," he replied. That feeling, that old familiar sense of surety, that confidence that came from Dracula. The confidence of a ruler.

"How dare you say I'm 'nothing greater'! My daddy," she began only to have Soma cut her off.

"Don't give me that 'special little snowflake' line." He snarled at her, feeling the darkness swirling about him, his to command. "You are nothing. You lived the life of a spoiled child, you have no clue how hard it was for people back when this all began! You think, you arrogant pretentious child, that 'you' are worth the death of countless men, women and children from across the globe? You think your life's end is more entitled to such grand response, then those who died on the battlefield or a victim of a rulers indifference? Presumptuous child be gone from my sight!"

She hovered there wide eyed and dismayed, painfully aware that her dad wasn't there to protect her or argue her case for her. She felt lost and alone, her only hope turning his back on her. "But you owe us!"

"I owe the human race 'nothing'. My war began when an innocent doctor was murdered out of the ignorance of the masses. I wish only to be left alone."

"But... master..." her voice was a wisp on an autumn breeze, her form dissipated like mist before him. While all around him the unlit candles sprang to life, as the spiritual glow of the ghost was replaced with the warm golds, oranges and reds of flames. As though the ghost had been using the energy meant to light those candles. Now that she was gone, they had returned to where they were meant to go, and with a vengeance.

Leaving Soma standing in the center of this circle, his heart racing, chills that ran down his body and a warmth in his soul that he had come home.

The king had returned.

Beyond him, in the crevices and hidden spots where the light of the candles could not reach, he could feel more eyes upon him. His army, his to command, waiting for his order to unleash hell, waiting for him to say the word. Soma closed his eyes for a moment, and he could see his father standing there.

"Mathias, it's time I teach you the art of Alchemy."

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_There had been a prophecy._

_A warning hidden in a riddle about the return of Dracula._

_From that point on, while the world spun tales of the monsters that no one believed in anymore, the United Nations prepared for the coming war. Piece by piece they were moved into position like a grand game of chess. The troops never were told what they were being sent out to do, who would believe such a tale? How could a solider be informed that they were being sent to fight a war against fake fangs and bad hairdos? Because, in the age of science, that's all vampires and werewolves were, and the forces would have lost their focus._

_The Church was called in, but no Five Star General was going to take help from some guy holding a 'whip'. Because it took a stake or sunlight to beat a vampire, everyone who ever read Dracula or watched television knew that. Seriously? The Vatican was willing to place its faith on a guy with a whip and a few robed priests from Japan? Not to say that they even believed the prophecy itself fully, but orders were orders. _

_It was because of those orders that they eventually found themselves doing basic forest tactical training around a lake. It wasn't just Americans either, Great Britain, France, Russia, Spain, Africa, Greece, it was as though they themselves were a military United Nations. A very tense one at that, what with multiple nations not necessarily on good terms with each other forced to share the same general location. Skirmishes were typical and dealt with, the lack of towers and several severe solar flares restricted the use of phones so communications outside of a few hundred miles was proven useless._

_Then the skies turned dark over the lake they were surrounding, not a typical type of 'dark' either. Rather a spot of just pure darkness seemed to grow like a balloon being inflated. Even as it did so, what had 'been' a cloudless sky suddenly produced clouds that were sucked towards that darkness. Growing bigger in mass as thunder started to rumble overhead. No one knew what was going on, until someone shook themselves awake to sound the alarms, everyone soldier found themselves staring at this strange meteorological event. _

_During their time off duty, many soldiers took to walking around the lake, going up the cliff towards the ruins of an old stone castle. Thus when the clouds started amassing, a pair of eyes, then others noted that the castle was... moving. From their distance, it looked as though the castle was being rebuilt at an accelerated pace. Large gaps in the outer walls were getting filled in at an incredible pace. Those who had been off duty at the moment, stood in wide eyed wonder as stones that had fallen ages ago moved, leaping back into place reforming walls. Wood that had been quietly rotting away into nothingness began to regrow back into a drawbridge and gates._

_Alarm sirens rang, calling the troops back to their own camps. The chain of command snapped into position like a like a well oiled machine. An anthill alarmed at the arrival of a wasp, the soldiers of multiple countries came together to face a common threat. They stood in rows and lines, guns at the ready and waiting for the command to march. _

_But these were not soldiers of the days of myth and fantasy. Clad in their leather skin clothes, or maybe a suit of armor._

_These were modern soldiers._

_Soldiers who had to be spoken to 'nicely'. Because 'soldiers had feelings to and didn't deserve to be yelled at'._

_Soldiers who had 'rights'. Because joining a military unit created for the protection of a nation didn't mean that they should be held to the same standards as everyone else. _

_Soldiers who were 'educated'. Because joining the military made it cheaper to go to collage and looked nice on a resume to boot. _

_Perhaps someone looked out from the lit window of the highest point of that castle. Maybe someone laughed._

_Regardless, the power of Dracula was enough to break every lazy fool that tried to march on the castle._

_For every soldier who joined with a sincere wish to protect their lands, who had faith in themselves, their gods, or countries; more fell. Units breaking in record seconds as soldiers dropped to their knees in agony, only to wrench themselves to their feet moments later. Bare skin suddenly was covered in fur or scales, while BDU's were ripped off like tissue with inhuman strength._

_The weak came to serve his father and died by a hunters weapon._

_The strong died trying to complete the mission._

_In a single day, the army of the world stormed the Castle of Dracula intent on destroying the menace with military might._

_..._


	16. iNNOCENCE lOST

Aria of the Ascending Soul

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: So for those of you who waited patiently through Soma's Self induced Guided Meditation, your reward.

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Xavier didn't really know what would happen when he was accepted as a new choir boy for the Vatican. For one thing, the Vatican was 'huge' and though he was only five years old, Xavier was well aware that the Vatican was an important place. After all, the bigger the place the bigger the importance right? So the fact that his father, who was a tall man by Xavier's estimation, was considerably shorter then the door, well...

He walked with one hand gripped in his mothers' hand, the other in his brothers' with their father taking up Deangelo right hand. It was just before mid morning and his parents had informed him that they were going to the Vatican. Well, not just 'to' the Vatican, at the tender and very tiny age of five, he was going 'back' to the Vatican for a completely different reason then normal. His parents were pleased with something, and they wouldn't stop talking about his voice. A pity they didn't seem to understand that Xavier was scared of this development, one would think hiding under one's bed would be a big hint. No such luck there.

So far he had been washed, rinsed, brushed, tugged and dragged out the door. It was a nice, if cloudy, day and Xavier worked his young little butt off trying to not pay attention to the fact that he was apparently supposed to sing for the Vatican. Not a 'church' a Vatican, lots of churches in the world, only one Vatican. Or so said Deangelo, who was his source for all grown up information that he couldn't figure out.

So yeah Vatican. Home of the Pope and Gods' personal home away from home, so said Deangelo. Such a huge place, the most important person in the world lived there, and it was no wonder that Xavier was reduced to a cowering sniffling mouse. They had passed through those insanely big doors and walked along the hallways while his parents talked to other grown ups. Xavier looked at the ground mostly, afraid that he would draw undesired attention on himself Every time his parents stopped walking he latched to his mothers' leg and barely peeked out at the world around him.

The last time he was brought to the choir room, there had been a few Cardinals who had listened to his singing, but now the room was filled with a variety of kids. Some looked familiar in a distant sort of way, but many were strangers that he didn't recognize at all. They all wore choir robes and were lined up along the room in groups. His parents and brother took a seat against the farthest wall leaving him to walk towards the only remaining grown up in the room.

"Come along young Xavier, the Cherub Choir practice is about to begin, then you will break for lunch," the grown up said. A firm hand gestured towards the section of kids his own age, with various young faces smiling at him and waving. He looked between his parents and the other kids before slowly shuffling his way towards the kids.

"Sometime 'before' lunch Xavier!" Deangelo called out from the back.

Xavier's timid steps switched into a childish double time as he made his way towards the stands. A girl with dark hair waved a sheet of paper at him that he took with nervous hands, his eyes going down to the sheet. Oh a music score, well yeah if he was going to sing then he was going to have to know what right?

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"Come on, say hello to everyone..."

Now after the class his mind started to process this room. The rehearsal room was big, by his standards, had multiple stands at various heights for the various choir members. Then there was the oddly placed donation box near the door out of the room. Oddly placed because it had the a message resting over it and an 'our goal' meter right next to it. The note had been rather odd, reading 'Donate to the SnuggyWuggy seriously needed his own outfit'. Xavier had yet to find out what that even meant despite the paper looking a little faded and retaped up on the corners.

The older kids had not left the room oddly enough, hanging back with each other, discussing things or just listening to the singing. The other kids got off the stands and began to move off into the room leaving Xavier eager to go to his parents when the teacher called for the class to focus.

"This is Xavier Conti, if you haven't figured it out yet, he's going to be the newest member of the Cherub Choir. Older kids, behave, young ones, you probably attend the same school as him. Treat him well."

It was a strange introduction, waiting until after the class to do this rather then the beginning. But grown ups by default were strange and he didn't want to draw attention to himself. As it was, the moment attention was put on him, the first thing Xavier did was lower his head and tuck his hands behind his back.

"It's ok Xavier, everyone has been where you are standing now, it's fine."

Xavier shook his head, remembering his parents telling him how special this position was. Worse yet, when he 'did' look up in an anxious need to find his parents, he realized they were gone. He was 'not' going to be 'fine'. Between his parents not being there and what his brother said he was going to be a nervous wreck.

"Yeah, just because God listens to all our sessions personally doesn't mean... OUCH! That's my toe!"

"Really?"

Xavier went from thinking about crying to starting to bawl. So it was true what his brother said! God lived here, too, and listened to the choir! What if he wasn't good enough? What if God left the building!? He would never be able to go home again!

"Now now Xavier, they're just teasing..." the choir teacher began in the tone of 'real smooth kids, really. Smooth, like gravel.'

"Someone has to show the kid around you know."

"Well, now that 'someone' has scared him, 'Tony'!"

"Hey put me down! I'm not a puppy!"

"Hey, kid? This is Elmo, he's harmless and he can show you around!"

"Why me? I get lost all the time!"

"Don't worry, if we lose you, we'll just send out the Snuggywuggy Rescue Bear!"

"Really? 'This' is your idea of an apology?" The Choir teacher asked as Xavier felt something tugging on his shirt.

"You can stop crying now. God isn't tough on us. Bad things only happen when the older kids screw up. Last week Tony totally croaked on a note and all the candles on the alter blew out."

The group of kids burst out laughing, others making comments about that session and others noting that cherub choir had forgotten the whole song once. Nothing bad happened to them, but when the older kids messed up God let them know. The tugging on his shirt didn't stop until Xavier finally peeked up from his spot. A boy about his age stood there, brown haired and green eyed and apparently 'Elmo'.

"Ok, so now that you're out, we go to the kitchen, get lunch, then I'll show you around?"

Xavier blinked a few times rather owlishly as he thought about what was being said. Then he slowly nodded which Elmo took to meaning he could start walking.

"Ok, first to the kitchen, get lunch, then out to the garden to eat lunch, then Vatican time." Elmo informed him before walking along like he knew where he was going.

Walking past the donation box brought his question back up into his mind, causing Xavier to trot up side by side with Elmo. "Hey Elmo? How come there's a donation box in the choir room? And what's a 'Snuggywuggy'?"

"Oh some of the older kids stole money out of the offertory plate one year so they could buy Snuggywuggy some stuff. But well, you know that stuff is frowned on, so they had to do a collection and pay the Vatican back. Now we just keep it there and donate money, when we have enough we all take a trip to the store and find something for Snuggywuggy."

"They stole from the house of God?!"

Elmo seemed to realize that he had said something pretty mind blowing, because the child turned to look at Xavier with a growing embarrassed smile. "Uh, well, if we run into Ms. Belnades, she can explain it better. But this was back when Tony and the guys were Cherubs themselves." Elmo stopped walking and began poking at Xaviers' cheek in concern. "You're getting puffy."

"HOW DO YOU THAT AND NOT GET PUNISHED?!"

"YIKES!" Elmo jumped back, holding his hands in front of him like he expected a charging bull to come straight at him. The priests and nuns just gave them a look and kept on moving. When the blond didn't say anything else he slowly lowered one hand the other was rubbing the back of his head as he gave a sheepish grin. "Wow, you have some fire to you yet!"

Elmo turned and began walking again and all Xavier could do was stare in shocked disbelief. When the brunet turned to look at him Xavier double timed his steps towards Elmo, but it didn't help his shocked mind. "So uh what happened?"

"Oh they had to work in the church doing extra stuff to pay back the money. Now we just dump in the coin we collect from allowances and from side jobs." Elmo explained as he pushed a door open and continued walking along.

"So, when did you become a choir boy?" Xavier finally asked, looking about at the really tall paintings in the room.

"Oh, a year ago... Wait... wow. You know it doesn't seem like I've been guiding Mr. Arikado around for a whole year!" Elmo leaned back on his heels, clearly thinking back on something.

"Who's that?" Xavier asked, tilting his head to the side as Elmo stared out a window, bringing the kid back to the present.

"Oh, he's a super important secret agent that talks to His Holiness directly! I'm his guide through out the Vatican!" Elmo explained puffing up in pride.

"But you said you get lost easily," Xavier pointed out, and watched as Elmo deflated.

"Well yeah, but he still has me do it," Elmo replied, though it was true there had been a great number of times that Mr. Arikado had to redirect him as he started getting lost.

"But why you?" Xavier asked, while in the distance there was a growing murmur of voices.

"I don't know, I was just in choir practice one day and he sat there and listened for a while. Next thing I know, I'm being told I'm going to be guiding him around," Elmo shrugged as he pointed to a door. "That's it, that's where we get our lunches! You just tell them if you have a food allergies and they adjust the meal in response!"

Elmo placed his palms against the door and pushed open a door, holding the door for Xavier to walk through. Xavier walked into a room with a few nuns and priests moving about making sandwiches for the line of children. Most of them looked like other choir kids a few of the older kids were wearing different robes then what Elmo was wearing. The line was steadily moving as Elmo hopped into line and Xavier dutifully followed suit.

Not that Xavier had the confidence to walk along alone in the Vatican. He looked up at the rich wood cabinets and counter space all around, his mom would have loved a kitchen this big. The kids would gather their plate and glass only to walk out another door that led outside.

"Well you must be new," a kindly elder voice spoke above his head.

Xavier started and looked up to realize that he was now at the head of the line and a nun was looking down at him. If Elmo's ears turned red when he got embarrassed, Xaviers' cheeks turned into tomatoes. "Umm, yes ma'am, um..."

"Is there anything I should know about what you can eat?" The nun had laugh lines and wrinkles around the corners of her eyes.

"Ummm... I think I'm ok..." Someone help Xavier!

With a soft cluck of the tongue, the nun went about making a quick simple sandwich and placed a pickle with it before handing it to Xavier. Off to the side Elmo stood between the door leading outside and the counter space that held a great many small paper cups. One such cup was in Elmos' hand and Xavier could only figure that it was for them. So Xavier met up with Elmo, taking up a cup that proved to hold apple juice before following Elmo outside. The outside garden was big and beautiful, the bushes were kept low allowing Xavier the chance to see a great deal of the garden, over rows of vibrant colors and a water fountain in the distance. Elmo seemed to know where he wanted to go, as his fellow kid made a line straight for some nice shade near a wall next to a strange door.

"This is a really cool spot, it's the crypt!" Elmo announced as he sat himself down on the cool green grass and began snacking on a sandwich. Only to look up at Xavier... "Aww what is it now?"

"A crypt 'here'? Like 'here' here?" Xavier asked before looking at the door more closely, why was it closed off from the public then? The public had no access here and crypts were kinda open to the public.

"Holy warriors are entombed here." Elmos' eyebrows furrowed and then he sighed. He took another bite of his sandwich before seeming to remember something. "Mr. Arikado said that the crypt was not created with the permission of the family. That people not used to holy power would either get scared or crave the power for themselves."

Xavier sat down next to Elmo, feeling a little weird to have a crypt full of people behind him. Elmo kinda made sense, though Xavier couldn't understand why the Vatican would force people to have their family buried here. Wouldn't it be considered an honor? "Were they cool?"

"Yeah! Ms. Yoko lives and works here, and her ancestors are inside! She's cool, and she is Snuggywuggys' owner! She's a nun and a witch..." Elmo then looked down, "Or is that a witch and a nun? I think she's a witch first, because she doesn't... Oh come on. What now?!"

"Aren't witches evil?" Xavier asked at Elmo's put upon expression.

"Bad witches are. Good witches aren't bad. Where do you pick up on all this stuff? You can't have fun if you worry all the time! 'sides God won't let bad witches live in the Vatican." Elmo explained as he continued on his sandwich.

"I'm jealous... All this stuff scares me, but you're so brave!" Xavier pouted before taking another bite of his sandwich.

"I'm not brave, Mr. Cruz said that I didn't have to worry about monsters. Because he won't allow bad monsters into the Vatican. Between that and the crypt here, whats' there to be afraid of?" Elmo reasoned as he began wiggling his toes in his shoes.

"Uh, who's 'Mr. Cruz'?" Xavier asked as he watched a little brown bird land on a near by bush.

"I don't know. I know he's important because Mr. Arikado has me guide Mr. Cruz around as well. Oh and unless someone hurts Mr. Arikado, Mr. Cruz is pretty ok. Like when Cardinal D'Arsit hurt Mr. Arikado, Mr. Cruz cut his hand off-" Elmo knew he did it again even before Xavier spewed out the apple juice. For most of the groups in the garden Elmo must have looked like a defeated stuffed animal with all his deflated looks. Time for new tactics.

"So what would you like to see first? Like we could go see His Holiness right now cuz he's right there?" Elmo offered.

"..." Alexander decided he wasn't going to ask why Elmo was using his paper plate to fan whoever it was passed out on the grass. He was just going to keep walking and pretend that small children with a pickle in one hand, a sandwich in the mouth and using a plate for a fan was perfectly normal in the Vatican. Just like how he pretended that the Snuggywuggy Christmas train was perfectly normal and witches who used fire ball spells to kill roaches were a dime a dozen.

He seriously wanted to just keep walking, but his duties as Pope frowned upon looking past the suffering of innocents. The fact that Alexander knew Elmo enough to understand that the poor child had probably induced some unfortunate younger soul with more then enough shock, made him feel responsible in approaching the pair.

"Elmo. May the Lord bless your innocent exuberance, but what did you do? This time."

"Um hey, Your Holiness? This is Xavier, he's new to us in the Cherub Choir and I get the feeling he's going to want to meet you when he wakes back up."

'Lord grant me the strength to not start laughing, oh what now?'

"Uhhh... Uhhhh! AHHH it's His Holiness!" He who must be Xavier came to, rather loudly.

"Well, yes my child. I was when I woke up this morning and I don't feel ready to retire. Young Elmo has told me you're going to be in the Cherub Choir from now on?" Alexander politely spoke while the child began busily digging in pockets before producing a small note pad and a pen.

"Please? May I have an autograph... and a blessing? Wait, that sounds greedy and greedy is bad..."

'The Lord works in mysterious ways... Apparently You have finally graced us with a way to keep Elmo in check. If not his penchant for wandering at least his penchant for letting his mouth go on its own path.'

He didn't give Xavier a chance to continue arguing with himself over what would be proper. Bending down a bit, he placed one hand on Xaviers' head, stilling the child instantly. "Dominus Jesus Cristus, Fili Dei vivi, Dixistis: 'Sinite pueros venire ad me, talium est enim regnum caelorum'. Hunc puer, virtutem tuae benedictionis infunde. Fidei et devotionis erga Ecclesiae parentum. Da, ut, proficiendi in virtute et sapientia coram Deo et hominibus ut vivant senecta desiderabilem et ad vitam aeternam consequendam, et regnabit in aeternum qui habitat. Amen."

Xavier looked lost at what was said, then again Elmo also looked lost when Alexander blessed him the last time. Though Arikado had been kind enough to translate the Latin for the child.

"You should thank him... Hey Xavier? You still in there?" Elmo asked, nudging Xavier only to watch the poor kid fall over in another dead faint. "This is going to be the 'long' tour isn't it?"

Alexander could only shake his head and chuckle before moving on as Elmo resumed using his plate to fan his fellow choir boy.

When Xavier finally came back around, again, he found Elmo still sitting there with a dutiful expression on his face.

"I had this weird dream where the Pope himself gave me a blessing!" Xavier exclaimed with a wide eyed look.

"Uh that wasn't a dream, he really did that and you passed out. Again. So I thought I should ask, you don't do this a lot do you? Like panic and faint? Cuz His Holiness 'has' sneezed during the occasional Mass. Oh and he does chuckle and laugh, too, so if you're going to fall over maybe I should know now?"

Xavier put his hands on his head in awe of the fact that the Pope himself gave a blessing to Xavier. But Elmos' comment caused him to sigh as he could see why it would be considered important. "It's not that I faint a lot. It's just that my parents and brother always talk about how important this place is. But, just by talking to you, it's almost like, I don't know. The Vatican is like everywhere else, only more crazy!"

"Mr. Cruz said that there's an odd influence in the Vatican. But he couldn't tell anything else because of the ring." Elmo explained with a shrug of his shoulders. He got up and began dusting off his pants before turning towards the main building. "Come on! I gotta show you more stuff!"

Xavier wondered about these strange people that Elmo spoke so casually of, before getting up himself and dusting off. Elmo guided him back into the kitchen where they disposed of their plates and cups before they set out further into the Vatican. Xavier found himself fascinated and a little scared by the tour, as Elmo easily pointed out spots and acts of recent destruction. Such as when he pointed out the burned damage on a painting of the Last Supper.

"How did you get invited into the Cherub Choir Elmo?" Xavier asked as they passed by the statue of the Virgin Mary.

"You won't believe me unless you meet Snuggywuggy," Elmo explained, reaching a fork in the hallways and looking both ways before taking a direction. Elmo kept a pretty fair pace for where he was going, pointing out all sorts of interesting things and places where things used to be. Until Xavier noticed that there were longer and longer periods of nothing going on and Elmo was taking longer to look between two hallways.

"Umm Elmo?" Xavier finally asked, growing concerned at how Elmo didn't seem to have a direction and how the sun seemed to be coming out of the windows at the end of hallways. At the end of 'every' hallway.

The tips of Elmos' ears were beet red as the kid turned to look at him in embarrassment, and it was that look that told Xavier that they were lost in the Vatican. But it was scary, the way the sun seemed to be pouring its' light through both windows on the far left and right. "Um... so what now?"

"Uh we find us a spot, settle in and wait until the Snuggywuggy Rescue Bear is sent out to find us," Elmo explained rubbing the back of his head.

"How long does it normally take for Snuggywuggy to find kids?" Xavier asked, reaching out to grab onto Elmo fearing that his fellow kid would disappear on him.

Elmo didn't get fazed by the act, he just shrugged and began looking at doors. "He's not very fast, but that's because he's small, that's kinda why we keep trying to get him more gear. Our current goal is to get him a little car or truck."

Xavier seriously wanted to know what his parents had dragged him into while Elmo quietly pushed a door open. After a gesture, Xavier followed Elmo into the room and found that they were now inside what looked like a type of conference room. Elmo climbed up into the seat and settled down, thus Xavier followed his example and settled into the chair next to Elmo.

"I hope it doesn't take long," Xavier commented, more to himself then to Elmo, when off in the distance he could hear something. He wanted to ask Elmo, only his fellow kid was looking at the same door with an odd expression on his face. As the door on the other side of the room began to open and the voices more apparent, Elmo suddenly slipped under the table. Startling Xavier as the kid grabbed him by the ankle and began dragging him under the table as well.

Xavier let out a squeak as Elmo pulled more urgently, causing Xavier to slide down quickly in concern. Once he was seated on the wine red carpet and under the great oak wood table he watched as Elmo focused on the door as it creaked open and the sounds of foot steps and voices filled the room.

"I don't believe it would be easy to simply arrest Alucard. He has allies among the clans that will surely be outraged at such an action. Treason or not."


End file.
